a weekend of bliss & joy

What an INCREDIBLE weekend!!


There is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that God completely filled my weekend! Babies, graduation celebrations, friends, family & a wedding of two wonderful friends- WOW, what more could a girl ask for?! Oh yeah, there was some time by the pool & a lot of time spent in my car driving back & forth between Greenville & Columbia & some really yummy wedding cake ;) 


Friday I got to FINALLY meet Mr. Charlie Roark & I was fortunate enough to spend a Friday evening with baby Charlie & his big sister, Chandler. They are two precious children, and together with their mommy & daddy they make a precious family. Chandler has the best personality & she is so full of life & always brings a smile to my face :) This was my first time meeting Charlie but he's 4 months old & ALL cheeks & boy, OH BOY, did those cheeks & sweet smile absolutely melt my heart! One thing that I have learned this past year from Dr. Davis is that babies are God's hope for the world.. the entrance of a baby into this world is precious & it shows that God is pleased & wishes to continue our world- what an incredible gift?! Meeting Charlie & spending a Friday night with Charlie & Chandler was EXACTLY what I needed!


Now, let's talk about Saturday, it was a pretty special day! Oh yeah.. that's because two of my best friends became husband & wife!! It's so wild to think that I have friends that are MARRIED but it truly was a blessing to be included in their special day! Seeing Anna walk down the aisle truly warmed my heart, I have never seen 2 people so in love & so happy, as I have Saturday when Anna entered the doors of the church & Spencer saw his bride for the first time. The ceremony was followed by an evening outside with GREAT friends, catching up & laughing until our stomach's hurt. It was such a special night- CONGRATS Anna & Spencer CARY!!! God has blessed A & S with being a significant & big part of one another's lives & I know that God has big things in store for the two of them! I am blessed to have such positive and uplifting friends as the CARY'S! :)


Today was a bittersweet day.. It was my not-so-baby-anymore baby brother's graduation breakfast and recognition at church. I am BEYOND proud of the fella he has become & not a day goes by that I do not thank God for such an awesome little brother. Yes, he aggravates me & pushes my buttons 97% of the time but that's what baby brothers are supposed to do to their big sister's, right? ;) and I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world! Seeing the pictures of me & him throughout the years & being able to physically watch him "grow up" in a 10 minute slideshow warmed my heart & reminded me how lucky & blessed I am to be James Weston's big sis! I know that God had big things in store for this kiddo's life & I am lucky enough to be included in parts of that "big plan." 


Another special part about today was the fact that I got to be in a room with ALL my cousins, aunts & uncles & grandparents from BOTH my mom's family & my dad's. I LOVE my family & to have them all in one place, for a special occasion, was truly incredible! It was just one of those small, everyday reminders of how blessed I am to be who I am. My family ROCKS! It was also great that Fran was in town from Hilton Head & that Dustin made the trip from the ATL. :) Today not only included our "real" family but it also included our church family & without BOTH families I would not be the gal I am, and where I am, today! 


What a GREAT weekend! :) and I'm thinking this coming weekend will be just as great! :)


Stay tuned :) 

in a network of love & grace

I have wanted to start a blog for quite some time and there is not time like the present, right? ...


The last 7 weeks have been some of the greatest & the most challenging weeks of my life.. I have realized a lot about myself and the person I am. One of the most important things I realized is that sometimes no matter how strong we think we are, in trying times we break down. I would consider myself a strong, independent person but when my cousin Anna got admitted into the hospital after her body had gone into "septic shock" I broke down. Seeing Anna laying in that hospital bed, so helpless and hurting, broke me down. Anna isn't just my baby cousin but she's one of my best friends! We have an incredible relationship & I love her more than she will ever know. Seeing her so sick absolutely broke my heart. 


The break down didn't happen right away, and it didn't even happen after a couple of days, it took several weeks, a couple of pounds, lots of late nights & long days until it happened. And OH BOY did it happen, there were lots of tears & heartache along the way but I was never alone.. I had the most amazing support system of friends, family & loved ones! These individuals made me realize that it's okay to break down, we're all human, but the great & wonderful thing is that each of us have those people that are always there to catch us when we fall and to pick us up when we are down. God has blessed me with the most incredible friends & family and surrounding myself with them brings the greatest joy to my life-- its the little things in life. God has also blessed our family by bringing Anna home, healthy & happy as ever. God is SO good! 


"Another deeply rooted source of our experience of God's presence comes through the most significant people in our lives; we know something of God's love in the love of our parents and grandparents; our friends and teachers; our siblings, spouses, and children; and sometimes through the grace of complete strangers." -Marjorie J. Thompson