Farewell Joy and Louis

Last weekend I helped give Louis and Joy a going away party in Jackson. I have a few pictures posted below. Usually on our blog, I don't really "blog"...I just tell you what Rob and I have been doing lately. Well, that all changes for this one. I just have to write a little about "my" Joy. Today, Louis left to go back to his home, South Africa. Joy is here for another month and then she leaves too. They plan to make their new home in Pretoria, SA. For those of you faithful blog readers that don't know Joy, then you don't realize what a gem she is and what she has meant to me over the past 28 years. She is not only my cousin, but my friend and more like a sister. Born 4 months before me, our parents probably knew we would grow up to be close, but I'm not sure they ever knew what kind of bond we would share. Joy has been such an inspiration to me. Our childhood memories are so sweet, but our last two years at Ole Miss and then both moving to Jackson after college are some of the best years of my life....and a lot of that has to do with Joy. One of my favorite Ole Miss memories is us studying together for finals our senior year at Joy and Louis' apartment. ok..we really didn't study together...after all, she was a pharmacy major and I was a communicative disorders major. Joy would sit on the couch and I on a reclining chair. We would have our books in our lap and the tv was always "muted" on HGTV... probably after about 20 minutes had passed, we both realized that neither of us were reading our books, but watching a muted tv show. We just decided then and there that we weren't accomplishing anything...no studying was getting done and we couldn't even hear the tv....so, there was only one thing we could do....we unmuted the tv:) I guess we ended up doing ok on those finals. The end of our senior year at Ole Miss and our first year in Jackson was a tough time for me. I honestly don't know if I would have finished graduate school if it weren't for Joy being in Jackson with me. I think I probably went to Joy and Louis' house almost every day until I met Rob (I apologized to Louis about that last night)... Joy was such an inspiration to me. She helped me learn some very important life lessons and more importantly she helped me realize who I was and whose I was. I will forever be grateful for the past 6 years and I am so sad to see them leave. Well...darn it I'm crying now so I must end this blog abruptly. BTW...Rob and I have started saving for the first of many trips to South Africa.

paint and more concrete!!

We have paint, a driveway, and a sidewalk!! I LOVE how everything is coming together. Now don't judge me for my color choices! I just couldn't bare having a house without COLOR! The painter isn't finished yet. He still has to do a last coat and gel stain the kitchen cabinets, island, and entertainment center..so those will look completely different than what these pics show you! Enjoy:)

Snow in Mississippi!

I think I win the award for most tacky snowman. I blame it on Rob. He had to work and I don't really have any experience building snowmen. When I was little in North MS we would get good snows, but not in Jackson. I heard this morning on the news that this is the biggest snow Jackson has had since...get this...1901!! Of course, I didn't have to go to work today, which means that b/c of us being out a few weeks ago for the water crisis in Jackson, we probably will be making up this day during Spring Break:( I did manage to get out a little today. Joy picked me up and we had lunch at Brent's Drugs. Enjoy my pics! My snowwomen is a hitchhiking beauty queen...

our first and last snow while living at 1512 Lyncrest Avenue

Who Dat!

These are a few weeks old...haven't had time to post any. The saints pics are from when they won the game that got them into the Super Bowl. We were at our friends Todd and Emily's house. The last pic. is from the Ole Miss vs. LSU basketball game in Baton Rouge. Rob was a Saints fan for that game...did I mention the Rebels won:)

are we excited or what?

Go Saints!

I LOVE COLOR!!

If anyone has been in our current house, you would know that I LOVE color. While I promised Rob that I would "tone down" the new house, I still managed to find ways to slide some color in. Here is a preview...

and some other developments...

20 reasons why New Orleans is the place to be for the Super Bowl

check this out...

Here are 20 reasons why New Orleans (and not Miami) is the place to be for the Super Bowl - ESPN:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

God is so good. I am constantly reminded of His Love for us. Rob's dad's surgery was a success! It appears that they were able to remove all the cancer!! The power of prayer is amazing! Give praise to God for His many many blessings. God was in control of this situation from the very start. What an amazing testimony we all have! I have copied my sweet brother-in-law's post below.

The surgeon just came out and informed us of how the surgery went. He said the surgery was a great success. He said he had to work hard, but he had God with him and he was able to get it out. He said for a tumor that size that there was not as much blood as he thought there would be. They planned to use 4 units of blood and they ended up not using any. They said they had to increase the incision longer then they anticipated but they were able to work with it. God guided the surgeon's hand and the surgery is done. My dad is heading up to ICU as I type this and we will be with him in about 30 mins. He will be in a lot of pain these next couple days so please keep praying that the Lord will give him a calm spirit and will deliver him from this pain. THANK GOD!