Updates Coming I Promise!!

Oh, my gosh, y'all!!  I am SO bad at this!  I have tons of updates coming from Fourth of July on.  I was waiting for some people to send me some pictures from some events because my camera died and I wasn't able to take any pictures, and I FINALLY have some pictures!  So, there will be A LOT of posts with updates coming.  There has been a lot of good stuff going on!

Exciting Family News!

Well, we have some exciting news in our family...

Drew is going to be a BIG BROTHER!!!!  Katie is due to have baby number 2 on January 3, 2011!

I have actually known since April 22.  I was sound asleep when my cell phone rang at 5:30a.m. (an hour-and-a-half before I was supposed to get up for work).  I almost didn't answer it because I wanted to get that valuable sleep, but I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Katie.  Katie knows better than to call me at the crack of dawn unless something is up, so I went ahead and answered.  She told me she had just taken a pregnancy test and that she was pregnant!  I was very excited (even though I was half asleep and probably didn't really act like it! :) ).  Besides Ed, I was the first one Katie told, and she made me swear to keep it a secret.  IT WAS HARD!!!!!  Luckily, she told Mom and Dad and Ed's parents and brothers the next day, but I still had to keep it a secret until Katie's first doctor's appointment.  Have you ever tried to keep something like that a secret??  I wanted to shout it from the rooftops!

Anyway, we are all very excited, and Katie actually thinks she will probably have the baby before her due date since she went early with Drew.  Who knows, we could have a Christmas baby!  Or, He/She could share the December 30 birthday with Grammie (Mom)!  That would be cool, too!  The funny thing is, Katie and Ed had just put an offer on a bigger house the day before they found out, and they got the house!  It's amazing how God works!  They'll be moving into their house sometime next month.  It's a little bit of a fixer-upper, but they got a great deal on it, and it's in a really great neighborhood, so it really worked out for them.

Some Randomness...

For as long as I can remember, I have really wanted a SIRIUS satellite radio because I love to listen to music, and I love all different kinds of music.  I also love comedy and college football as well.  So I always thought it would be nice to have all of that right at my fingertips, and be commercial-free!  The problem was, I wasn't sure how I was going to get a satellite radio a) without having a car, and b) with the portability I wanted so I could take it back and forth from work to home to wherever else.  Finally last year, I decided to research, and I found a boombox/docking station for a SIRIUS satellite radio!  YAY! 

So, in January, I took some of my Christmas money, went to Best Buy, and bought me a Starmate 5 satellite radio, a SIRIUS boombox, and a SIRIUS subscription!  I AM HOOKED!!!!!!  I can take my boombox back and forth from home to work every day if I want, and it gets great reception up here on the hill at the VA!  I love having commercial-free music and comedy any time I want.  My favorite stations are 80's on 8 (of course!  I mean, who wouldn't love 80's music 24/7?), 90's on 9 (high school and early college memories), Blue Collar Comedy Channel (talk about rolling on the floor laughing!), and a few others like the Blend (80's, 90's, and today), the Message (Contemporary Christian), the Metropolitan Opera Channel (I'm a vocal performance major, so I gotta love that), the Broadway/Showtunes channel, and a few others that I'm forgetting but I don't have the channel line-up in front of me so I can't remember their names.  But, if you're looking into getting a SIRIUS satellite radio, I will say that it's totally worth the money and SIRIUS-ly awesome!  I know, that was REALLY corny and dorky, but I couldn't help myself.  It was just too easy! :)

Also, another piece of randomness.  I was at Wal-Mart last week shopping, and I saw... THIS!!!

I had to buy this!  I remember when I was little, I used to pour myself a (dry) bowl of Cap'n Crunch (I don't eat milk in my cereal) and just eat the berries out of it.  I thought the little yellow pieces were nasty.  My mom would then get mad at me because I would waste all that cereal.  I feel like such a nerd because I got so excited that Cap'n Crunch finally made a cereal with just berries!  But, hey, I get excited about little, weird things like that.  Anyway, the cereal did not disappoint.  It was really good!  I am one of those grown-ups who still loves kiddie cereals and I have not an ounce of shame in eating a bowl for dinner!

Memorial Day Weekend Part 2

After a LONG day of shopping, Mom, Dad, Katie, Ed, Drew, and I headed back to Madison (Jackson) to relax for the last day of the Memorial Day holidays.  Right before we got home, we stopped and ate, and Papaw gave Drew his first taste of ice cream.

I think he likes it...

...Because he kept grunting for more!!  Katie kept saying Papaw was going to turn Drew into a fatso! :)

Then it was home to my parents' house and to see their three cats (which I guess are technically mine (Halo) and Katie's (Tigger and Smoot), but they lovingly inherited them.  They were glad to see us, especially since it meant that it was dinner time.

Sweet Halo waiting for dinner

Smoot (the "alfa-female kitty" of the house)

Tigger waiting to go outside

Beth and Halo- buddies forever!  Halo actually lived with me in Fayetteville for a year, coming home some weekends to Little Rock with me when I came home to see Mom and Dad.  Finally, he decided he wanted to stay with Tigger and Smoot!

Then, Drew got to have a special bubble bath in Grammie's BIG jacuzzi tub before bed.

Come play with me, Aunt Beth!!

Yep, he's a water-baby!

After that, we just vegged out and watched TV and went to bed.  The next day before heading out, we stopped by our dear friend, Judy's store, Judith Lee's so Mom and I could do some shopping.  Judy has some of the cutest clothes, shoes, and accessories for women, so if you're ever in the Madison, Mississippi area, stop on by!  I bought two really cute dresses, two cute pairs of flip-flops, and some really cute new sunglasses.  Then, we all went and ate at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, one of my all-time favorite places to eat.  After that and hugging Mom and Dad goodbye, it was back to North Little Rock and back to the grindstone.  But, wow!  What a fun weekend!

I think someone was glad to have me home, though!  He was sure letting me know it when I walked in the door Monday night!

Memorial Day Weekend Part 1

On Memorial Day weekend, I took Friday off from work (WOOHOO!!) and I went down to Mississippi to visit Mom and Dad. Katie, Ed, and Drew had already driven down there earlier in the week, so I got up bright and early Friday morning (4:00- ha!) to catch my flight to Jackson.  Actually, my flight was originally supposed to be at 6:50, so I had my alarm set for 4:00 so I could get my shower and be ready for the cab to take me to the airport, but as luck  would have it, I received a call at 3:50 A.M. from Delta telling me that my flight had been changed from 6:50 to 8:00, so I could sleep an extra hour.  Well, I didn't go back to sleep...sigh.  Oh, well.  At least I made it to the airport on time, AND made my connecting flight in Memphis.  So, I arrived safely in Jackson. 

Then, Mom, Katie, Ed, and Drew met me at the airport, and we drove straight down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to visit Dad's side of the family for two days!  I haven't been down there since 2000, so I was excited to be down there again.  I have seen most of my family since then, but not Gulfport and Biloxi, so it was really interestin to see it post-Katrina.

We stayed with my cousin, Tom and his wife, Debbie.  They have a beautiful house that Debbie (who is an interior designer) decorated herself, and that survived Hurricane Katrina.  It had to have a lot of post-Katrina work done to it, though because it had five feet of water in it, but it looks beautiful now, and the Spiers were great hosts! 

This is me standing by a picture that Debbie's daughter (my cousin, Lauren, who is a chef in ALASKA!! :) ) painted before Katrina when she was in high school.  But, when Katrina happened, the water in their house came up to where I am pointing.  I would have been under water!  Lauren actually re-painted below the water-line, and if you look really close, you can actually see a line where the paint looks different.

Tom (the chef) had dinner ready for us when we got there, and the whole Gray family came to eat.  Two of Tom's daughters, Jess and Emily, Jess's husband Rob and their two kids Hunter and Chandler, and Emily's husband, Ryan and their sweet baby, Carter (who is nine hours younger than Drew) were there.  I haven't seen Jess and Emily in about fourteen years (except on Facebook! :)), so it was great to see them.  Plus my dad's brother, Mike, his wife, Ann, my cousin, Missy, her husband, Mikey, and their three kids, McKinleigh, McKabe (Bubbie), and Mylieghjo were there, too.  My dad flew in from a business trip later that night.  What a full house!  But, it was great to see family again!!

Drew meeting his cousin, Carter for the first time!  Katie and Emily had been waiting a long time for this meeting!  Debbie, Mom, and Emily are also in the picture, too!  Also, you can see the blur of a dogs tail at bottom left.  Both boys wanted to play with Moose, Tom and Debbie's rat terrier.  Moose wasn't too sure about that...

"Poppa" Tom and the boys.  He's a really fun Poppa.  Drew really liked him a lot.  Also, sorry Razorback fans, my cousin is an LSU fan.  I only tolerate that because he's family.  Otherwise, he'd be nothing but pond scum to me..  Haha!!  Just kidding!

The next day, Dad took me, Katie, and Ed on a drive down the beach to show us the post-Katrina damage and rebuilding and also to take us by the house he grew up in (which I remember since my grandparents lived in until they died).  It was neat and sad at the same time.  The beach used to be FULL of old houses and shops and restaurants and souvenir stands and big, old trees.  Now, there is not much there.  The beach is pretty bare.  They are starting to build some condos there now, and they have rebuilt some of the casinos that used to be there.  Also, they have taken some of the remnants of the old trees and made wood-carvings out of them.  My favorite was one shaped like an eagle, but I couldn't get a pic because we were driving.

The house my dad grew up in from 6th grade on.  I have lots of memories of going to visit Papaw and Mamaw here!

This lighthouse is the ONLY lighthouse left standing on the Mississippi coastline.  It was built in 1847 and has withstood the Civil War, Hurricane Camille, and Hurricane Katrina.

The Hard Rock Casino and the Beau Rivage Casino behind it.  The Beau is where I lost my booty!!

Then, we met Mom, Tom, Debbie, Mike, Ann, Missy, and McKinleigh for lunch at a seafood restaurant and just had some good ol' family time. 

Look what Mom and I found in an oyster!!

Drew also had his first taste of hush puppies...

...And I think they were a hit!!!  He kept grunting for more!!!  Papaw (my dad) kept obliging.  What a push-over!!  Hehe!!

Then, we went to the Beau Rivage Casino for some ice cream and some fun in the casino.  I don't really want to get into that part because I didn't fare too well.  Dang it...  I still had fun, though.

After that, we went back to Tom and Debbie's and just hung out because it had started storming.  The next day, we met Mike, Ann, Missy, Ryan, Emily, Carter, Tom, and Debbie for lunch and then did some shopping at an outlet mall in Gulfport.  It was so great to see and hang out with the Gray side of the family!  I promise I'll be down there more often!

Then it was back to Jackson to relax for one more night...

Drew's Baby Dedication (5/8/10)

On May 8, 2010, my sweet nephew, Andrew Harrison Hill (Drew) was dedicated to the church.  Our church The Summit Church does a really neat baby dedication service just for the babies and their families and friends.  They used to have them dedicated during the church service, but the church figured it kind of took away from the importance of what the dedication meant, so the children's pastor decided it might be a good idea to let the babies have their own "show."

So, that day, each baby had their own table that was decorated with sweet pictures of the baby.  There was also a beautiful cake and some other snacks. 

Drew's table- notice the Kleenex for the crying parents/grandparents.  I thought that was a thoughtful touch.

The beautiful (and good I might add) cake

The cure stage

At the start of the service, John Scott, our wonderful children's pastor explained why we were all there and what it meant to have the babies dedicated to God and to the church.  Because we were all in attendance, we all were to play an important part in helping these children learn what it meant to follow Christ throughout their lives.  We each had a very important responsibility as leaders, teachers, and family/friends.  Then, John gave the parents a chance to explain why this dedication was important to them (to their individual tables) and read a letter they had written to their son or daughter that they would give him or her when he or she decided to accept Christ.  It was really special to hear Ed and Katie talk about how they planned to help Drew grow up in the faith and to lead him to the Lord.  John said we could also give any advice we thought might be necessary.  So, in general, it was just a very personal time for sharing and learning about each other.  It was a very special moment for Drew!

After that, we did what everyone does at any normal church function- we ate!! :)  And, of course, we took pictures.  I was the only one who brought my camera in our crowd! 

Drew's "fan club."  We couldn't ever get Drew to look at the camera! :)  It's me, Katie, Drew, Ed, Ed's mom, Pat, Ed's Dad, Ed Sr., and Ed's younger brother, Michael (who came down from Fayetteville for Mother's Day weekend)

Ed, Katie, and Drew.  Drew wanted that paci!!!

It was a really fun, special day.

Rudy the Patient (4/26/10)

On April 26, 2010, my sweet kitty, Rudy had to go get "fixed" and declawed.  I wasn't able to take him into the vet that morning because I had to go to work, so Ed came and picked him up for me and took him in.  He was probably going, "What?  Mom?!  What's happening??  Where am I going and why aren't you coming with me?"  But, the vet said he did wonderfully and he was a good kitty, except when they took off his booties/bandages from being declawed.  He didn't like that too much.  Also, he somehow got a tapeworm, so he had to be treated for that, bless his heart.  But, when I came to get him the next day, he was more than glad to see me.  He wasn't too happy that we had to stop by Katie's for a minute.  I think their cat, Ripley might have scared him because he peed in his carrier.  Oh, well.  But, he made a quick recovery, and within about three days, he was back to his old, rambunctious self!

Here he is licking his wounds right after we got home.

My "patient" passed out on the couch.  I think he was still pretty drugged up.

Feeling a little better!

So glad to be back home!  This is where he usually sleeps- on my pillow!

And here is the proof that he was back to his old playful self.  This is what I found the morning after he came home from the vet right before I left for work!  He had a fresh bowl of water 30 feet away!  Silly kitty!

My 30th Birthday- Part 2 (April 2-3)

My 30th birthday didn't end after my sweet work friends took me out for lunch.  On my actual birthday, my sister, Ed, and Drew took me to the mall for dinner, a much-needed pedicure, and shopping.  It was great girl-time with Katie!  Unfortunately, Ed and Drew didn't get to stay that long because Drew was getting tired, so Ed left with him and let Katie and me finish our shopping and fun.

On Friday night, about ten of my friends and I, plus Katie and Ed went out to eat at Mimi's (one of my all-time favorite restaurants) and then went bowling afterwards.  It was so much fun!  I really had a great time just hanging out with some great people!  Unfortunately I didn't get a group picture, but here is me with my beautiful cake that Katie got me from Blue Cake Company.

Pink and Zebra are my two favorite colors!

Up-close picture of the cake

The next day, I got my big gift from Mom and Dad- A new 40-inch TV with a Blu-ray Disc Player!  I kind of knew about the TV (I didn't know about how big it would be or what kind it would be), but the Blu-ray was a big surprise!  THe cool thing about it is that it plays both DVD's and Blu-ray discs, so I don't have to rush out and buy a whole bunch of new Blu-rays; I can take my time with that.  Thank you, Dad and Mom!  I am so blessed to have such wonderful, loving, giving parents!  I wish you all could have been here on my birthday week!   Also, thank you to all my family and friends for all your sweet phone calls, Facebook messages, and cards!  I had a great birthday week!

The sweet new TV from Dad and Mom

The Blu-ray Player

Playing "Catch Up"

Wow!!!  Did you think I'd forgotten about my blog???  Well, no, I hadn't actually.  I had bought a really nice new camera back in December, and I looked ALL OVER for the software CD for the camera so I could upload the pics I've been taking, and I cannot find it anywhere.  Plus, that camera is really difficult for me to use, and I'm not personally happy with the quality of pictures it takes.  Also, it's kinda chunky so I can't carry it around in my purse for easy picture-taking.  So, I'll probably sell the camera and its parts or something.  So, I went and bought a new, smaller camera (a Sony CyperShot- which I LOVE by the way!).  I took the memory card from the other camera and put it into the Sony and FINALLY got my pictures uploaded!  YAY!  So, now I can finally get all caught up on my blog updates since April. 

Not a whole lot of things have happened in my life since my last post, so I'm not going to follow with 100 blog updates or anything crazy like that.  But, a few exciting things have happened.  So, enjoy the next few posts!

The Birthday Fun Begins!!!

On Tuesday, my coworkers took me out to lunch a day early to celebrate my 30th birthday.  We went to one of my favorite places- Crazy Hibachi!  It's YUMMY!!  I love watching the Japanese cooks make the food right in front of you!

Katie and Drew even met us!  Drew wasn't too sure about all the fire and loud noises, though.  Katie took the picture  From left to right, Wendy, Debbie, Chris, Brittany, Me, Leah, Drew, Norma, and Dr. Bass.  Chris and Dr. Bass don't actually work for our organization within the VA, but they work in our building, so I invited them along with us!

Here's another view.  This picture's a little dark though.  Brittany and Norma are my office mates in the call center, and I LOVE working with them every day.  Check out Brittany's blog here!  My boss, LaNita, and our other call center rep, Ronita couldn't come to lunch because of prior engagements, and Angie was sick, so sorry we missed you all!

30 Great Years!!

Yesterday, March 31, I turned... the BIG 3-0!!!  I can't believe I am in my 30's!  Yesterday as I was thinking back about my life, I realized how incredibly blessed I have been with a great family, aweseom friends, and wonderful memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and that will always bring a smile to my face.  I thank God that He has given me such an incredible life, and even though there have been challenges with a visual disability and with moving around a lot while I was growing up, I am a better person because of who He has shaped me to be and what he has brough me through. 

Now, if you don't mind, let's take a trip down Memory Lane!!

Me at 3 Months

Me Sporting my dad's team, Mississippi State at 3 months.  Though I became a traitor and became a Razorback.  Sorry Dad!

My First Birthday

I was about 15 months old in this picture and Brian was about 8

Katie and Me in 1983 taking a Christmas card. I actually remember taking these pictures!!!

Katie and me carving pumpkins in 1984 in Auburn, Alabama

Me in 1985.  I really like this picture

My kindergarten picture

Me at 7 with Precious, one of my favorite cats growing up

My first performance!  I sang "Somewhere Out There" at my cousin's wedding at seven years old in front of like 300 people!

Playing the piano for Girl Scouts in 4th Grade

Katie (9) and me (10) playing in the snow

Singing at a wedding at 14 in 1994

Homecoming in 10th Grade

Graduating from North Little Rock High School in May 1998

My solo performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on March 29, 2000.  I was one of two national VSAarts 2000 Panasonic Young Soloist Award winners!

I sang the National Anthem at the 10th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act and President and Mrs. Clinton were in attendance!

I met Sandi Patti (my favorite singer) in 2003!

Me, my cousins, Sara and Matt, my friend Karl, and my best friend, Michele on my first cruise to the Eastern Caribbean in 2004

Me being crowned Miss Lakes of the Northwest in March 2004.  This was my second local title to go to Miss Arkansas.  I went to Miss Arkansas 2000 as Miss West Central and was in the Top ten.  I was so excited to win Miss Lakes, though because I had tried for three years and it was my last year (age-wise) that I could compete for Miss Arkansas, and I wanted to go as Miss Lakes.  Plus the directors, Ed and Kathy are amazing!

My parents and me at Miss Arkansas 2004 after evening gown night

My best friend, Megan and me after I had won preliminary talent on Friday night at Miss Arkansas 2004

After the Miss Arkansas 2004 pageant.  I had gotten into the Top Ten again and also won the Coleman Dairy Overall Talent Award!  It was a great way to finish my pageant careet!!

This was at my sister, Katie's wedding in May 2005.  This was all of my family that was there.  There were a few people missing, and unfortunately, one person in this picture (my cousin Leslie's first husband, Brent (far right, top row, black jacket) was killed in a motorcycle accident two months later.  But, on a happier note, the wedding week was such a happy time filled with lots of fun and great memories with family and friends!

Me, Michele, and Michele's sister-in-law April on my first and long-dreamed-of trip to New York City in 2005.  We were in Times Square right after we went to see Phantom of the Opera

Me, Michele, my other best friend, Melody, and my college friend, Crystal bowling on my 26th birthday

Me and my friend, Michele at Michele's wedding in 2006

At my graduation from my Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas in 2006

Gray family trip to Disney World in May 2007.  Brian and Jennifer and the kids, Thomas (then 11), Keven (then 9), and Madalyn (then 3), my parents, Katie and Ed, and I went and had a BLAST!!

This is when I tried out for American Idol in 2007 in Dallas.  I made it to the second round!  That's two rounds before Randy and Simon and them!

Me with Megan and Charlie at their wedding in 2007

Me with my great friends, Dave and Sarah at their wedding in 2007.  Dave and I were music majors at U of A and spend many hours studying for music history!

Me and Katie took a trip to Dallas to visit Brian's family and we went by our old elementary school in Cedar Hill, TX!  I went to 1st-3rd grade here!

Mine and Mom's first peek at my nephew, Drew just seconds after he was born.  Mom and I got to be in the room to witness his arrival and it was one of the coolest, most special moments of my life!

Me, Katie, Ed, and sweet Drew in 2009 at Christmas

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that sweet trip down Memory Lane!!  I sure did!!!!  It brought back a lot of memories, smiles, and some happy tears. :)  I had a great birthday yesterday, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next 30 years!!