DEAREST BABY DUVALL...

2-21-11 Dearest Baby Duvall,
You have been on my heart for quite some time now. Your Mommy showed me your 15 week ultrasound pictures via email and I got a little teary. I skyped with your Mommy the same night and she showed me her belly which got me teary as well. See, your Mommy was always like a sister to me growing up even though we are cousins. So, I feel like I will be an Aunt to you! I have been praying for you for a very long time. I am continuing to pray that you grow strong and healthy. I can't wait to see how you develop over these next weeks and months. I especially can't wait to find out what you are and start buying you little goodies. You are already bringing our family so much joy! I also can't wait until I can be with your Mommy and Daddy in May and get to hopefully feel you kick since you'll be about 6-7 months along. I just thought you needed to know that you are loved and being prayed for.
Love,
"Aunt" Heather

Valentine's Day 2011

Ok, so the Single Girl and Valentine's Day are not words that go together. I honestly had a hard time going to sleep Sunday night thinking about my Dad not being here to keep our deal. He told me he'd always send me flowers for my birthday and Valentine's Day until I got married. I of course know that it wasn't the flowers that made the dy special, it was the sentiment behind them. Side note, thanks to my Mom for a pre Valentine's Day surprise. A sweet friend of mine sent me a message about one of her girl friends that waited on the Lord and is now married and happy. I read it and wanted to say blah blah blah, but in all reality, I know God has a plan for me. So I accepted her words of wisdom and decided and prayed that I could make VDay a great day. My friend Sherri brought me these balloons and a card that her whole family had signed. Yes, I laughed and cried when she walked in with them. lol.
A couple of hours later, my sweet friend Kasey brought me these flowers. They are so pretty and thoughtful. She has sent me flowers for VDay every year since my Dad passed away. It truly does mean more than I can say. I'm so thankful for her friendship in my life.
I rounded out the busy, busy day of massage and selling gift cards by going to see my nieces. Me and Ella Grace got to hang out by ourselves while Gigi was drying Emma's hair.
EG-Let's make a silly face. AH-ok!

Mine and Emma's turn
We can both roll our tongues. Aren't you proud?

Before opening their presents from me


Movies and some candy...
Their new Hannah Kate outfits I bought them. They are so funny. They were hanging on each other and you couldn't see how cute the outfits were. So I said- stand up straight- and the over exaggerators decided they would look like toy soldiers in the pic. I could eat them up with a spoon! I hope everyone had a great Day of LOVE!

Just a typical Sunday

1-30-11 Sorry this post is out of order. I took all these pics with my phone and somehow forgot about them. I think it's hilarious how our Sunday family lunch now consists of chasing kiddos or passing the baby around. My how times have changed. Jay put his hat on Annyson and thus started the kids photo shoot for the day.
Bubba is now fully mobile so it was interesting trying to catch him. He's such a cutie pie.
Emma was spending the day with Gigi since Ella Grace was sick. Of course the first thing she said when she got there was, "My sister's sick" It was sweet.
Mary Bennett showing out for me

Shaggy Uncle Jay with A.
Aunt Susie has to have her moment with Annyson.
Emma wanted to hold Annyson. She gets to see her at daycare everyday and I think maybe help take care of her too. This was the solution...Emma sit in my lap with Annyson. Check out A's face!
Now she's smiling...
Yea, so what? There's no rule that says your family can't vote for you to win the Best of South Georgia contest. hehe I may or may not have bought 7 newspapers and told them they couldn't leave until they filled out their ballot. LOL Thank goodness we always have Kristy to entertain the children.
Emma and Kristy were telling us stories to round out the day. I'm so thankful for my family!

I Don't Want Crumbs...

2-9-11 This week has been an interesting one from the get go. God is still working in me about this whole "Prince" situation. I know I have to die daily to my self and not put my desires in front of what He has for me in the right now. I think it's just hard for me figure out how to deal with the emotional side of my desires. I don't know how to love or care for people without giving them my whole heart. (That's one question I'd love to know the answer.) However, I am so incredibly grateful that God is working in my life and that it's evident. Phil 1:6 says, "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
The last 5 days of my Bible Study focused in on the story of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob. You can read Genesis 29 and 30 for the whole story. The snyopsis is that Jacob loved Rachel and wanted to marry her. He asked her father for permission. The father told Jacob he had to work for him for 7 years to marry Rachel. It says Rachel was very beautiful and Leah her sister was not. The father pulled a bait and switch and Jacob ended up marrying Leah. Jacob loved Rachel so much that he ended up working another 7 years for the father so he could actually marry her. Leah wanted desperately for Jacob to love her that she kept bearing children for him hoping for a crumb of love to fall her way. She started out having the first one and hoping that would equal love. With her son, Levi, she drops her standards and simply hopes for Jacob to be attached to her. With her son Zebulon, she only hoped he would treat her with honor. Oh how many times I have been Leah and accepted less than God's best! Then you look at Rachel who had mutual love with Jacob. In modern day terms, she's pretty and has her man, what's her problem? She couldn't bear children. She became jealous of her sister. So even when you think "she's got it all" remember there's probably more to the story. Eventually after lots of craziness, God allows Rachel to have children. Even after she has the beauty, the boy, and the babies, she still isn't satisfied and goes after the household gods. They both weren't completely satisfied with what they had. Only God can truly satisfy! I want to get to the point where I am so content with my relationship with God that everyone else just seems like bonus! So that's where I am and that's what I'm striving for.

I heart Mark Richt...

2-7 At the celebration service for the life of James Eunice on Saturday, Jay Rome, a Valdosta Wildcat and new UGA Bulldog, delivered a UGA football jersey to John & Tammy Eunice. (James had been accepted to UGA and had plans of walking on in hopes to play football for UGA.) The jersey had Eunice on the back with the number 23 which was James' high school number. I'm sure other coaches might have taken the opportunity to do such a great thing, but only one did-Mark Richt! He sent the jersey with a note saying James made the team! The pic is of James' brother, John Eunice, with the jersey.

Here's a story from the Thomasville newspaper that I thought was pretty great!
http://http//timesenterprise.com/opinion/x353714385/Winning-isnt-everything


There isn't really much of an update on life last week. I had a really busy week at work and have been trying to run and workout 4 nights a week. I'm still enjoying my Bible Study and really don't have a lot of time for other stuff. I got to hang out with some great friends at different times during the week and that always makes me happy. I just wish some friends weren't so far away. I see another trip to Nashville in my future. :)