legacy....

when i was in the first grade, my teacher gave us little tree seedlings to take home and plant in honor of earth day. of course i took it straight home and planted it expecting to see a full grown tree by the end of summer. unfortunately, i forgot to mention to anyone that i had "planted" this tree in our backyard. the next day when i got home from school, grandad was out back cutting our grass and my little tree was nowhere to be seen. to the untrained eye, the tree seemed to have blended in with the grass and was now a few wood chips shy of tree heaven. bless grandad's heart.... he didn't know about my tree. and i'm pretty sure he didn't even know there was such a thing as "earth day."

but, the one thing he did know was that our grass needed to be cut. we were having hard times-my dad was working a lot, my mom was working and trying to take care of three young children, and they were just doing the best they could to make ends meet. grandad knew there was a need, and he did what he could to help.

that's the kind of man he was. grandad would see a need and without hesitation and before he was even asked, he'd step in to help. it didn't matter if you were family, friend, or stranger - he would give you the shirt off his back....although you might not even notice since he sported his own au naturel fur coat underneath :-)

when i think of my grandad i can't help but smile. he was one of the funniest people i have ever known, even when he wasn't trying to be. there are so many "family stories" that revolve around grandad and his antics, that we could (and do!) tell them every time we get together. it doesn't matter if you were present when it happened or just heard about it after the fact, it's still just as hilarious as if you were in the moment with him.

i think every family member has their own personal "favorite" grandad story. whether it's his infamous "trickster" golf swing, his love of aquanet hairspray, or his declaration that every meal is "the best he's ever had" there are more than grandad stories to share! and some of them are told over and over to anyone that cares to hear them, others are kept safe within the family circle and we never tire of telling them and laughing together.

grandad had a way of making everyone feel included. he truly cared about people and he had heart like no other. even though he had eleven grandchildren, he and mawmaw made sure none of us ever got lost in the shuffle. they came to every basketball and softball game, piano recital, school function, and church production. if we invited them, they would do their best to be there.

without grandad, i wouldn't know some of life's most important lessons, like: how to tell when "the devil is beatin' his wife" (aka the sun is shining while it's raining); how to tell "dirty jokes" (aka - "a white horse fell in the mud"); or the fact that zero candy bars taste so much better when they're "king size." without grandad, laney wouldn't be laney JAMES. over the years, i've seen grandad impersonate elvis, eat an apple in two bites, get more than one speeding ticket, and scream "GEORGIA TECH!" as he pushed a piano up a set of stairs.

out of all my favorite "grandad stories" and all of my precious memories that i have of him, there are two things that stand out to me the most. grandad's love for the Lord and his love for mawmaw. not a day would go by that he wasn't professing his love for both. he couldn't help but tell anyone that would listen about the way the Lord changed his life. grandad lived like a man that knew he had the assurance of eternity with our savior. and he wanted other's to have that same assurance. he was unapologetic in his faith and it truly did overflow into every aspect of his life. when you were around grandad there was no denying he was filled with the kind of joy that can only come from jesus.

it was also evident that he loved mawmaw more than anything on this earth. there's was the kind of love that had seen good times and bad, famine and feast, and they were stronger because of it. and when grandad began to slip away, and his memories began to fade, there were two things that could always put a smile on his face: singing about Jesus and having mawmaw by his side.

of course we are sad that grandad is no longer here with us, but what greater comfort is there than knowing we WILL see him again one day? i believe whole heartedly that grandad met his maker early this morning. and i believe that he was greeted with, "well done good and faithful servant." the life that he led was a true testament to God's redeeming love and abounding grace. grandad is no longer with us on this earth, but the legacy of faith that he left behind will live on. children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and countless others that have drawn closer to the Lord because of something they saw in grandad. only God knows how many seeds were planted during grandad's days on this earth and how many lives were changed because of his obedience. i know that my life was forever changed. and i am eternally grateful that not only do i have precious memories of grandad, i have the hope and assurance of knowing that i WILL absolutely see him again in heaven. and when i do, i'm pretty sure he'll be a fantastic clogger. 

grandad and me

meeting libbi for the first time

meeting his namesake, laney james for the first time

"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Psalm 100:5

picnic party...

we had libbi's third birthday party on sunday and it was a blast! her party was at the little gym and i think it's safe to say she enjoyed it :)

even though it wasn't at our house this year, i still wanted to do a few decorations and have a simple "theme"...because what's a party without a theme?! we settled on a picnic theme, because it was simple and fun - just my style :)

(let me also preface this by saying, i am (very obviously) not a photographer. if it looks like the picture was taken by someone either half blind, confused about the camera, or under the age of 5.... it was more than likely taken by me) :)

the invites:

just for fun, we put a thumbprint ant on the back of the invite and on the envelope. we even added a thumbrprint watermelon on the back of the envelope, too. libbi loved doing these. and since we used lunchbags for the envelopes, it wasn't a big deal to throw away 2 or 3 (or 10) when she she got a little paint happy with the finger prints.

the decor:

i used fabric from hobby lobby as our table cloths. 2 yards usually works perfectly for rectangular tables. i had all of the vases and metal containers already. i even had the inserts with green streamers on them stored away (thank you, kindergarten "mom's day!") i added in some of the cupcake toppers that i glued to lollipop sticks i found in our pantry (unused, of course!) the watermelons were from a set of thank you cards that i found in the dollar section at target. and i cut the ants out of black foam i had on hand.

we used "picnic baskets" as plates. i bought a set of 8 from walmart and they came with the cute little gingham paper inserts. i used labels that i attached to the inside of the baskets. perfect for a picnic! :)

the food:

i tried to keep the menu "picnic-y" but still kid friendly...

water and juice

"ants on a log" (aka celery, peanut butter, and raisins)

"dirt cups" (i forgot to take a pic of these at the party, so these are a few at our house beforehand) complete with "worms"

goldfish

"fruit baskets" and watermelon

libbi thought it was so funny that she could eat the "basket" :)

cupcakes...mmmm! strawberry and birthday cake flavored

the cookies/favors: 

how precious are these cookies?! and they tasted just as good as they looked. these were made by mabry of preppy confections (you can find her on facebook HERE). y'all, she even wrapped each individual cookie for me - how great is that?!

(*borrowed pic from preppy confections facebook page)

"please take one...hurrah, hurrah!" :) 
 and the tag read, "thanks a melon! xoxo, libbi" 
....i love a cheesy tagline :) 

the birthday girl: (and her sister)

love libbi's precious watermelon shirt by sheshemade. ashley has made holiday, special occasion, and birthday outfits for my girls for years....and i'm hoping that she'll continue to! they are always perfect!!

next up.... the birthday girl and her people. :-)

three...

"You're a little piece of heaven

You're a golden ray of light

And I wish I could protect you

From the worries of this lifeBut if there's one thing I could tell youIt's no matter what you doHold to JesusHe's holding on to you

The world will try to tell you

That might is more than right

That beauty's on the outsideAnd being good's a losing fightBut remember what I've told youBecause the world will make you chooseHold to JesusHe's holding on to you

Hold on to Jesus

Cling to His love

Rest deep in His mercyWhenever things get roughDon't lose sight of His goodnessAnd don't ever doubt this truthThat when you hold on to JesusHe's holding on to you

Hear me dear Jesus

Rock this little one to sleep

Keep her close when she's scaredAnd give her grace when she is weakI know she'll stumbleBut I know she'll make it throughIf you hold to her just likeYou said You'd do

Hold her Jesus

And she'll hold on tight to You."

Happy 3rd Birthday Libbi Jane. 

We love you more than you'll ever know!

*song lyrics: "Hold On To Jesus" by Erin O'Donnell

thirty...

i've never won a major award. i'm not famous. and i haven't invented anything noteworthy (yet) ;-) 

i'm not really an expert on any subject. i don't have any hidden talents. and i'm pretty sure that even if i did, i'm past the point of being "discovered" -ha!

as i think back on the last three decades of my life, there are quite a few things that i still haven't done, that i can't do, or that i'm not. but in all honesty, those things don't matter. not one bit. in my years on this earth, i have already been blessed with more than i could ever deserve. so tonight, on the eve of my 30th birthday, i'm thanking God for all that he has given me, all that i am, and all that is yet to come....

i have an absolute peace and assurance about where i will spend eternity. there is not a doubt in my mind that when my days on earth are through, i will meet my Maker and spend eternity with Him in heaven. thank you, Jesus that i can live each day knowing that this is not my home. 

i am blessed to be married to the love of my life. how many people can say that they are married to the same boy that took them out on their first date (almost 17 years ago!)?!

and without a second thought, i'd do it all over again. 

we have two of the sweetest and most beautiful girls on the face of this earth. not a day goes by that i do not thank God for the health and happiness of our precious babies. i am in awe every day that He has chosen me to be their mother. it is a gift that i will never take for granted....(Remind me of that when they're teenagers, mmmkay?) ;-)

i am surrounded by my family and encouraged by them daily. my mom is my best friend. my dad is a pretty close second (no offense dad, but you don't like to shop, so....) i am blessed to call my brother and sister-in-law friends, too. it fills my heart with joy to watch our girls growing up together. my sister makes me laugh like no other and she definitely keeps life interesting. my in-laws are incredibly giving. they would do anything for our girls and they treat me like their own. 

i have endured hardships, trials, hurt feelings, and life lessons that were difficult to learn. but through all of these, the Lord never left my side. i am eternally grateful that i have had the opportunity to experience God's grace, forgiveness, and the redeeming power of His love. and that i can say, without hesitation, that his mercies are new every morning.

in the last 30 years, i have earned a college degree, a paycheck, and a few raises in between. i have earned every pound of baby weight ;), earned my "mom badge", and the right to brag on my own kids. and as much as i'd like to deny it, i have also earned each stretch mark, wrinkle, and gray hair that my 30 year old body boasts. so while i'm not sure if looking back on the past 30 years makes me feel old or young, it sure does make me feel proud. and even beyond that, it makes me so thankful for how blessed i am and excited for what the future holds. 

"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

Psalm 139:16

dad...

my dad encourages us to "take chances" ....when we were growing up, the neighborhood we lived in had a big hill that my dad deemed "killer hill." you had to be a certain kind of crazy to ride your bike down killer hill. me, being a walking ball of anxiety even then, would never do such a thing. one year when we had snow (aka a light dusting of flurries and lots of ice - ha!) my dad brought out the cookie sheets and convinced us to "sled" down killer hill. and if that doesn't convince you we live in the south, i don't know what will.

my dad knows how to laugh.... when i was in elementary school, we were preparing for supper one night and everyone was hustling and bustling to get the table set. i was not paying attention and on my way to the table, i dropped the bottle of ketchup. somehow, it landed standing up and the ketchup shot straight out of the bottle onto the ceiling. everyone froze. the ketchup dripped down. i could feel my eyes welling up. and then my dad busted out laughing. soon we were all laughing....although i'm pretty sure the next owners of the home didn't laugh over our ketchup stained ceiling as much as we did. 

my dad expects the best.... when i was in the 7th grade, i wrote a note to my best friend at school. and is it weird that saying i "wrote a note" now makes me feel old? i guess kids these days probably just text each other - ha! anyway, i know this may be hard for y'all to believe, but when i wrote that note to my friend, i included a not-so-nice sentence about our teacher. and wouldn't you know it, that teacher intercepted the note. what luck. she promptly informed me that i was to take the note home, show it to my parents, and return it to school the next day after they SIGNED IT! yikes. when i showed it to my dad that night, he took it, ripped it into shreds, and threw them in the fireplace to burn. apparently i forgot to mention to him that i was supposed to bring the note back to school the next day. oops. he wrote a note letting my teacher know he had seen THE note, but i'm almost positive he didn't mention that it was now ashes in our fireplace. 

my dad stands up for his kids.... when my sister was in elementary school there was this boy that rode her bus and constantly antagonized her. at that time, my sister was going to a special school for children with disabilities, so her little bus would pick her up to take her to her school while my brother and i would ride a different bus to our school.  day after day, she'd step off the schoolbus onto our driveway just completely distraught over something this little boy said or did on the ride home. one particular incident that comes to mind involves our beloved nintendo. missie told this little boy all about our nintendo and, being the sweetheart that he was, he would deny it's existence. each day she would become more and more upset over his refusal to acknowledge her nintendo. until one day, my dad decided to take matters into his own hands. he (very courageously) hid in the bushes at the end of our driveway and waited. when that little bus (full of special needs students, mind you) stopped at the end of our driveway, my dad leapt out of the bushes, yelled the little boy's name, and waved that nintendo box over his head like the prize that it was. my sister was overjoyed that her nintendo ownership had been proven and my dad was a hero in her eyes. unfortunately, the department of transportation was not as impressed and proceeded to tell him so in the letter they sent home not long after. 

my dad loves God and he loves others.... he is one of the reasons it's so easy for me to view our heavenly father as loving, kind, and compassionate. my dad is selfless, hardworking, and the funniest person i know. i've seen him hold and comfort my girls when they've been sick and make them crazy with laughter when they're around him. i've seen him care for his ailing father and lovingly hold onto memories and the promise that he'll be healed and whole with Jesus one day.  i've seen a small glimpse of how much the Lord loves me through the life of my dad. 

i love you, dad and i am so thankful that you're not just "the" dad, but you're my dad. 

and to Jeffrey, my girls are so blessed to have you as their Daddy. there's nothing that makes my heart happier than seeing their faces light up when you're around. I am so thankful to God for allowing us to partner together in this whole parenthood thing. As Libbi would say, "You're 'da Bess Daddy Ev-ah!" We love you! :)

Happy Father's Day!!

"And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:18

friday phone cleanse...

snapshots of our week...via my phone :)

preparing for libbi's birthday party next weekend. we had fun making "thumbprint ants" for her invitations (invites once again from the fabulous great grabbie designs! :)

libbi loves to go into laney's room when she wakes up, but sometimes she jumps the gun and goes in a little too soon. this picture is both incredibly sweet....and a little creepy ;-) *i'm waaatching yooooou*

the tippins girls LOVE a good pallet aka "pillow surprise"

they love them some puzzles, too.

smart cookies, those girls :)

libbi goes to "sports camp" on monday mornings so she wears her "athletic attire"....and our girly girl was totally busted pretending to put on lipstick with her crayons (more than once). ;-)

since laney was having her tubes put in so early tuesday morning, libbi spent the night out. laney enjoyed the one on one time...

but definitely missed her partner in crime. 

jeffrey left to go out of town on tuesday, so we spent a few days at my parents' house. libbi spent her time trying on jewelry and painting her fingernails...

laney spent most of her time just trying to "back that thing up."

we enjoyed early morning waffles at mimzy and buddy's house...

and laney loved watching out the door for two of her favorite people - 

libbi and buddy! 

staying at mimzy and buddy's house means ice cream for snack after nap (bed head included free of charge)

sharing with sister

laney had a blast at ihop on wednesday. guess she must really love pancakes :)

showing off her dress that auntie mannie, uncle jj, and blakeley gave her for her birthday!

the girls shared an afternoon snack of goldfish on thursday (out of Woody's cowboy hat).

we went to the VBS festival at mimzy and buddy's church on thursday evening. did we go to their vbs? no. but anytime there is free snowcones and "jumpy things"...we're there. there also happened to be a helicopter at the VBS festival. libbi was thrilled to be able to sit in it....

it was all fun and games until she started pushing buttons and pressing pedals...

the pilot stepped in pretty quickly after that - ha! 

they were remodeling our hobby lobby when we stopped in on friday, so libbi decided to place her sweet little self on the display. she told me, "momma...pa-tend like you gonna buy me. 'cause i soooo cute. i am 2 dol-wers. 2 monies!" ;-)

and this is how i ended my friday night. not bad, huh?
TGIF
Hope y'all have a great weekend!!!