Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!

Well, this will probably be my last posting until we return from our honeymoon! :( :)

We are excited about Christmas, spending time with our families, the wedding, our honeymoon, and a new baby in the Smith family..... NO, David and I are not expecting. David's older brother, Mark and Anna of Charlotte are expecting their third...a baby boy we will call Ian. After our trip in Gatlinburg for our honeymoon, we are stopping there for a day or two to meet the new baby. We are incredibly excited.

Each day, David reminds me of how many days we have until the wedding. Each day, I tell him to keep his mouth shut! :)

Everything seems to be in order... I have heard from our wedding planner and florist that I am the most prepared and organized bride that either of them have ever seen! THAT makes me feel great... Sometimes being OCD has its advantages.

Yesterday we celebrated Christmas with my family. It was, of course, a mad house at my Nana's house. Paul finally got to meet my father, who was on his best behavior!!! THANKS be to God!!!!! Great things HE hath done!!!!

Last night we went to our church for the last Sunday night service we shall see this year. We had a silent communion then went outside and sang Christmas carols. It was nice. Then we just sat around the house for a while and talked with Paul (David's Dad), Bryan (David's oldest brother), Fran, and their two children (Sean and Sara). It was nice!

Today we will celebrate Christmas with the Smiths. Tomorrow we will spend the day with Jason and Julie Bell. They are dear friends of ours who recently moved to Waco, Texas. They had two beautiful boys, Jack and Nolan "Nollie", with another baby boy on the way... She is due in March or April. We are excited about that as well.

I am thinking about hitting the spa on Wednesday before things get crazy..... We shall see!!!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!!!! God Bless you all!!!

Constance

No more

Today was my last day babysitting Mia Newman, the autistic child that I have been providing care for over the last few months. I shall miss it greatly, but am relieved to be able to sleep later (hopefully since I was waking @ 6am) and not to have bruises, cuts, and bit marks on me anymore.

My list of things to do has grown since yesterday, but I will not bore you with minor details of being a working, schooling, soon to be married woman!

Nothing new today really.. Think I am getting dark from the tanning bed, but only been three times!!! I LOVE MY SKIN! :) Bet you cannot believe you heard that come from my mouth (or words) huh? Me either!!!

Just the 'blah blah blahs' of life

Well, tuxedos are ordered!!!! YEAH!!! Check off my list.

Today is my last day of the work week. Tomorrow, I have big plans!!! :) Being the busy woman I am, I will be
1. Trying to meet with the beautician to get my hair done for the wedding
2. Meeting with the wedding planner to go over everything
3. Do paperwork at the church and pay for the church and sound tech
4. Grocery shopping
5. Preparing for my shower on Saturday morning
6. Preparing for a graduation party Saturday night in Kennesaw
7. Working on the bridesmaids', parents', and other important people's gifts for the wedding
8. Wrapping Christmas gifts
9. Wrapping wedding gifts
10. Preparing to write more thank you cards
11. Clean the whole upstairs of the house
12. Change of address forms with post office
13. Fill out paperwork to change my name
14. Pay the florist
15. See my parents and David's grandfather
16. Order our prescriptions

AHHHHHH! So many things to do and sooooo little time. Some things can be put off though if needed.

We found out Tuesday that one of my best friends, Julie Bell, is having her third baby, and it shall be a bouncing, healthy baby boy!!! We are excited and cannot wait to see him be born in Texas and spoil and love him like Jack and Nolan!!!! :)

For right now, that is all. I am going to get ready for work now!!! Babysitting in Mableton until 3pm, then off to Atlanta from 4-9p.

Please keep our family in your prayers!

Until then,
Constance

Just another week

This week has flown by....just like every other week! After the funeral and everything, I have tried to stay busy..like a mother 'nesting' my mother says. It is like I am preparing for a new child to arrive, but I am really preparing to go back to work and leave David and Paul in the best shape possible! Funny how within seconds your life role changes!!!!!!!

Tomorrow, I will start back to work. As always, I am working two jobs: babysitting in Mableton and a customer service position in Atlanta. On Mondays, I babysit a 6-year-old Autistic child (Mia) from 8:30a-2:30p; then, I take my time getting to my other job (only about 20 minutes away from Mia's house). I have to be there from 4p-9p, but I usually clock in at 3p or so. Tomorrow, I think I am going to start going to the tanning bed again. I haven't gone in about 2 months because things have been so crazy with Rae, school, wedding, two jobs, premarital counseling, etc.

On Tuesdays, I work in Atlanta from 11a-9p (but I think I will go to tanning bed before that as well... Gotta get tan for my wedding dress!! :) ). Wednesdays are the same as Monday's schedule. Thursdays, I babysit from 11:30p-3p and then jet to my Atlanta job from 4p-9p (of course try tanning bed before babysitting). Then I am off on Fridays (until after the wedding). I am eager to stop babysitting and continue my job in Atlanta... Then, when I come back in Janaury, I will be full-time! I am excited!!! :)

Anyway, I must get to wrapping some Christmas gifts and stuff...

Until we meet again,
Constance

First things first

Well, this is my first post...a confusing one. On one hand, I am incredibly happy to be alive, healthy, in love and loved. I am happy and excited about getting married in 23 days; however, a sadness that few understand creeps over my shoulders. My soon-to-be Mother-in-law passed away on Sunday, December 3. She had been battling cancer and had returned from M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas cancer-free. This was one of her biggest accomplishments, other than having her three amazing, intelligent, well-rounded, loving, caring, Christian sons; marrying an equally great Christian man; living her life for her Lord, her children, and her grandchildren; and learning to make English fun and appealing to those with little or no desire to learn anything. She came back with hair and eyelashes (which she was most proud of). Although she is not here in a physical form, I know she is here.

Today, I had to run errands for Paul (David's father) and a few for me. As I returned back to our home in Rockmart, I saw the sun set behind a mountain of living trees and homes filled with love and laughter. The sky at any position had a hint of purple to it. The white was tinted purple, the red was tinted purple, and the other magnificent colors the Lord decorates the sky with was tinted purple (This is a mutual favorite color for Rae and me...One of the many, many, many things we had in common! :) ). I felt a calming as if Rae and God were telling me that she was perfectly fine, in no pain, and was watching over me. I felt confidence to be able to care for, love and protect the two men she cherished most in the world: David (her baby boy) and Paul (her husband and soul mate). She left them behind under my care until they reach Heaven to be with her. I wondered (as soon as this whole situation arose) how I could manage to work, go to school, and care for these men. How could I do it? I felt today that Rae was telling me that she left them with me and only me because she trusted me and knew I could do it. I can do anything with the help and instruction of the Lord. I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me. If he leads you to it, he will pull you through it!!!!

AMEN!

I love the color purple. .... Thank you, Lord, for the color purple!