Took Kaylin to see this today. What a wonderful movie. It was so much better than the book. How well my sweet Kaylin knows me, she told me several times during the movie "Nanny, I know your going to cry. It's okay". Even if your not a Miley Cyrus fan I think you will like this movie.
Not only did I lock myself IN my car a few days ago.... I locked myself OUT of my blog. Thank you Amanda for saving me on both of those! I wanted to share the below message from Max Lucado. When I read it today it just touched my heart.... how many of us have been in this situation? What have we done? Enjoy:
Dear Friend
by Max Lucado
Dear Friend,
I'm writing to say thanks. I wish I could thank you personally, but I don't know where you are. I wish I could call you, but I don't know your name. If I knew your appearance, I'd look for you, but your face is fuzzy in my memory. But I'll never forget what you did.
There you were, leaning against your pickup in the West Texas oil field. An engineer of some sort. A supervisor on the job. Your khakis and clean shirt set you apart from us roustabouts. In the oil field pecking order, we were at the bottom. You were the boss. We were the workers. You read the blueprints. We dug the ditches. You inspected the pipe. We laid it. You ate with the bosses in the shed. We ate with each other in the shade.
Except that day.
I remember wondering why you did it.
We weren't much to look at. What wasn't sweaty was oily. Faces burnt from the sun; skin black from the grease. Didn't bother me, though. I was there only for the summer. A high-school boy earning good money laying pipe.
We weren't much to listen to, either. Our language was sandpaper coarse. After lunch, we'd light the cigarettes and begin the jokes. Someone always had a deck of cards with lacy-clad girls on the back. For thirty minutes in the heat of the day, the oil patch became Las Vegas—replete with foul language, dirty stories, blackjack, and barstools that doubled as lunch pails.
In the middle of such a game, you approached us. I thought you had a job for us that couldn't wait another few minutes. Like the others, I groaned when I saw you coming.
You were nervous. You shifted your weight from one leg to the other as you began to speak.
"Uh, fellows," you started.
We turned and looked up at you.
"I, uh, I just wanted, uh, to invite ... "
You were way out of your comfort zone. I had no idea what you might be about to say, but I knew that it had nothing to do with work.
"I just wanted to tell you that, uh, our church is having a service tonight and, uh ... "
"What?" I couldn't believe it. "He's talking church? Out here? With us?"
"I wanted to invite any of you to come along."
Silence. Screaming silence.
Several guys stared at the dirt. A few shot glances at the others. Snickers rose just inches from the surface.
"Well, that's it. Uh, if any of you want to go ... uh, let me know."
After you turned and left, we turned and laughed. We called you "reverend," "preacher," and "the pope." We poked fun at each other, daring one another to go. You became the butt of the day's jokes.
I'm sure you knew that. I'm sure you went back to your truck knowing the only good you'd done was to make a good fool out of yourself. If that's what you thought, then you were wrong.
That's the reason for this letter.
Some five years later, a college sophomore was struggling with a decision. He had drifted from the faith given to him by his parents. He wanted to come back. He wanted to come home. But the price was high. His friends might laugh. His habits would have to change. His reputation would have to be overcome.
Could he do it? Did he have the courage?
That's when I thought of you. As I sat in my dorm room late one night, looking for the guts to do what I knew was right, I thought of you.
I thought of how your love for God had been greater than your love for your reputation.
I thought of how your obedience had been greater than your common sense.
I remembered how you had cared more about making disciples than about making a good first impression. And when I thought of you, your memory became my motivation.
So I came home.
I've told your story dozens of times to thousands of people. Each time the reaction is the same: The audience becomes a sea of smiles, and heads bob in understanding. Some smile because they think of the "clean-shirted engineers" in their lives. They remember the neighbor who brought the cake, the aunt who wrote the letter, the teacher who listened ...
Others smile because they have done what you did. And they, too, wonder if their "lunchtime loyalty" was worth the effort.
You wondered that. What you did that day wasn't much. And I'm sure you walked away that day thinking that your efforts had been wasted.
They weren't.
So I'm writing to say thanks. Thanks for the example. Thanks for the courage. Thanks for giving your lunch to God. He did something with it; it became the Bread of Life for me.
Gratefully,
Max
P.S. If by some remarkable coincidence you read this and remember that day, please give me a call. I owe you lunch.
To this
Monday March first my precious grand-daughter Kaylin will turn nine. Today was picture day for her. Each year for the last nine years we have gone to Sears because they use the numbers. I love them because they are all the same size and you can tell each year just how much she has grown. I'm saving most of them for my blog on Monday however, I have to show off at least a few of the photos now: 
She just had her hair cut yesterday, nine inches cut off. I really wanted her to wait until after the pictures however, she and her mom won. They both love it and I know it's so much easier to care for. This old Nanny just doesn't take to change very well. Or... could it be that it just makes her look older and that is what really bothers me? After pictures, we ate lunch and did a little birthday shopping. Okay.. a lot of shopping.
Next... the kids and I went to pick my parents up for our first visit meeting my new great nephew and my parents newest great grand-son Aaden. What a sweet heart he is! Now let me show him off:
Last stop before home... my parents (mema and pop) for pizza and birthday cupcakes (pupcakes for Eli). Tomorrow will be my daddy's birthday and Monday Kaylin's so we just celebrated both!
I guess the only thing this day missed was stopping by Rosie's (my friend Tina was celebrating her birthday tonight). The kids were wore out... okay... truth was... I was also wore out! Wonderful blessed day was had!
Today was lunch and movie with my friend Lilah. We went to see "When In Rome". We both went with expectations of it being a good movie and left very happy that it was a great movie. Yes, it is a chick flick... however, it has so many funny parts that even a guy would end up liking it. We laughed so hard at so many parts. Both of us said we would buy it for our romantic comedy collection. It didn't hurt that Josh D. is fine looking! It was a great day seeing a great movie with a great friend... I am very blessed!
(I borrowed Tina's picture from her facebook)
Today is a special day. It is the Birthday of a very special friend of mine, Tina Melissa Cothren. My friendship with her started out with her sister, Penny. My parents moved to a new neighborhood when I was in I think the eighth grade. This is a rough thing for a 13 year old girl.. new school.. making new friends.. trying to keep your old ones and all the other pressures of just being young. Thank God he moved us next door to the Cothren's and one house down from the Hale's. I made forever friends with Penny and Janice Hale. Both girls had younger sisters, Tina and Vickie Hale. Okay.. back to the Birthday girl. I always had a soft place in my heart for Tina (could it have been because she was always in trouble?), even with her being much younger. As we grew up she became more like a little sister. We have been through so many of those things life throws at each of us over the years. I am so proud of the person she has become. She is outspoken, honest, big hearted, shops way to much, an over the top wonderful mom and an awesome friend! She has been in my life for 39 years (yet she continues to be 40 years old) she was in my wedding and she is in my daughters name, Kerrie Melissa. Happy Birthday my sweet friend!
I don't know how I missed ever seeing this show! I saw the very first one of season one last night with Kaylin. My sweet friend Lilah bought season one for her thinking she would like it... and she did. We both are so excited about watching the next episode tonight. There are not many family type shows on anymore. No Little House on the Prairie, The Cosby Show, I Love Lucy, Touched by an Angel... instead they have been replaced with Modern Family, Cougar Town.. shows I do NOT want my eight year old grand-daughter to see! My TV pretty much stays on the Disney Channel these days. Thank you again Miss Lilah for such a thoughtful gift... we will enjoy it!
My sweet little grandson has such a way with words. I know that it won't be long before he stops saying all those cute little things. I want to remember them and I want him to know what joy he gives me.
Here are just a few:
He loves wearing shirts and/or jackets with "hoods" on them. He says "does it have a "wood"?
He loves chocolate and can smell it a mile away. Give him some candy and he wants a "yudder" piece.
Most all kids love cupcakes, he loves "pupcakes".
Thank you God for the joy, laughter, and love those two children give me each and everyday. I am so very blessed!
