It Must Be Video Wednesday...

I figured since its 22 degrees outside, it's perfect weather for a summer video. Ha. I was looking through some videos on my computer and realized that I made this video of our family vacation and never posted it. So here it is. I hope thoughts of the beach warm you up on this cold night.

Walden Family Vacay 2010 from Katie Walden on Vimeo.

Blog-Linkity Goodness 5.19.10

It's time for more linkage. The internet kind. Not the hot dog kind.

- While my daddy was taking a little doctor ordered rest time last month, he decided to go fishing on day and take my furry little brother, Randy, along. Randy always makes things interesting. This outing was nothing different. Check out his story here.

- Also get his take on cowbells here too. It's always good to hear a players' perspective on the subject.

- This post of Jon's at Stuff Christians Like is hilarious. It includes Justin Beiber, Ludacris and the Black Eyed Peas.

- I'm not a big Paul Finebaum fan but the day I read this I was. He wrote a great article on Dan Mullen and the future he has in college football. If you bleed Maroon and White and haven't read it yet, click here.

- Did you see American Idol last night? Did you see Lee Dewyze, who might have to fight Tim Tebow, for my hand in marriage? No? Watch this.



- Last but not least, I hate that I've waited this long to share this with you bloggites, but it's only because I've waited this long to watch it. This is a link to my church's Easter service. (And just for fun, I've embedded the video player below.) David focused on the Love Story that is presented in the book of Ruth. If you don't know the story, please go read it. It's only four chapters and it will change your life. I think I've studied this story about three times in the last three years and it gets better every time. It's such a beautiful, TRUE, realization of our need for the redemption that can only come from Jesus Christ and the immense love of a God that actively pursues us day after day. I love it even more because Mandi Mapes was able to display the amazing gifts that God has placed in her life through her testimony and her talents. Mandi is the girl singing those songs and she wrote them all as well. If you like, you can get them on iTunes.

This just made my night

This just showed up in my Twitter feed. A little slice of home.

Thanks to "Da" or Amanda for the help with the arts and crafts. And thanks to my sis for the sweetest voicemail I've ever gotten. And the translation.

Definitely the brightest part of my week.

They Say It's Your Birthday...

...Well, Happy Birthday to ya!

Today is my wonderful Daddy's birthday. If I'm as good at second grade math as I think, that makes him...um...58?

I know that most of you reading this would argue that you dad is also the coolest dad in the world, but I really have to say it. My dad is the coolest dad. in. the. world!

I owe everything I am to my dad (and mom). He's taught me to much and fixes everything from broken radiator hoses to broken hearts. He's also pretty darn crafty as well. When I was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz my senior year, he made my ruby red slippers. And. They. Were. Awesome.

He's really good at scaring the poo out of the boys I've dated but also at embracing them as a part of the family (okay, maybe not ALL of them) and being that one person who is always there for them to talk to.

My most favorite memories when I was a kid were riding on his back/shoulders and riding in the trailor being the riding lawnmower/tractor. Although I'm too grown for those things now, I still feel like figuratively, my dad still carries me on his back when I'm to tired to walk, puts me on his shoulders when I can't see the main event, and lets me ride in the trailor when I'm afraid to walk through the tall grass.

As an adult (which is still a weird word to me because have you seen me play with my nephew?), my favorite thing is our theological, deep, thought-provoking conversations. Although sometimes I can get frustrated with the way he challenges what I say, I always come away grateful that he does it because if I'm not challenged, I won't know what I really believe.

My dad's been through a lot in his life, a whole lot more than someone like him should have to go through. But one thing that has been a constant has been his faith in God and God's faithfulness to him. My dad has an opportunity everyday to be a light for Jesus Christ in a world blanketed with the darkness of anger, resentment, abuse, addition and misunderstanding. And he takes that opportunity day after day. That can sometimes lead to an overwhelming feeling of weariness. When you're pouring yourself into saving others, you start to feel yourself drowning. Then you become the one that needs saving.

I think there are times when he might forget how much he is loved in this world (and out of this world), but I think in the past two years he has realized it's more than anyone can fathom. And the ringleader of that love is his Heavenly Father.

My dad has a saying: "Remember who you are...and Whose you are." He has been the greatest example of that saying to me.

There are so many things that my dad has done that I take pride in -- namely, playing football for Mississippi State. But my dad has done greater things that have had a bigger impact than just tackling a few people and putting a number of quarterbacks on their back.

My dad became a Christian in high school and since then, he has been on a mission to make an impact for Christ in every aspect of his life. He was a major player in Campus Crusade for Christ at MSU and is surrounded by many close friends who have dedicated their lives to impacting the world for God's glory.

He's taught me to believe in the power of prayer because it really does work. And to look for the small things. The details. Because God has a purpose even in the small things.

I can't think of a great way to close out this post. It's just not coming to me. But I will say that there's one thing I'm sure of -- 26 years ago, God gave me a daddy who would be the earthly image of him. Now, I don't know how many dudes auditioned for the part of my dad but God sure hit the nail on the head with this pick.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

A Boy And His Birthday

This little guy...

Turned two on Saturday...

Had big party...

With a really cool cake.

He got lots of cool presents including this...

This...

And this was the winner.

See...

He even gave his KK a ride.

Fun was had by all.

Happy Birthday Little Boo!

Home Sweet Home

No matter where I live for the remainder of my life, Jackson, Miss., will always be home to me. And not just Jackson, my parents house will always be home to me.

I won't be going to visit my parents. I'll be going home.

Because home is where you are who you are. All of the time.

Home is where you know you're loved, without even having to hear someone say it.

Home is where you're greeted at the door with a smile, a hug so tight it makes you dizzy and a wet, slobbery kiss from the dog that you swear is annoying one minute and is the cutest little puppy in the world the next.

Home is where every single member of your family is. It's where you mind is flooded with memories the minute you step in the door, no matter how far back they take you.

Anecdotes and stories are a staple in family conversation. And there's a song for each one of them too.

I remember when I first went off to college. Although I was only an hour and a half down the road, I cried every time I pulled out of the driveway to go back to school. Everytime. For the first year. A whole year.

Now, the crying seems to have subsided. I pull out of the driveway, of a completely different house no less, but I blow a kiss, smile real big and whisper to myself, "Man, I can't wait to come back home."

I think the main reason the tears have dried up over time is not because I'm older and more mature and wise in my years. I think it's because, everywhere I go, my family goes with me.

I take them with me.

They are in my heart.

Everyone I meet knows that my dad is the strongest (and wisest) man in the world. They know my mom's smile can light up a room and that she could coach the Mississippi State football team to a championship victory is they'd let her. They know that my sister is my best friend and that her voice puts even the most top-selling artists to shame in my book. They know that my brother-in-law is a coon-ass from 'Nawlins who uses the gift God has given him to lead everyone around him in glorifying the Father through song.

And they know, boy do they know, that my nephew rules my world.

I think I've just now figured out why I love The Wizard of Oz so much. It's such a representation of how home is where we are, not where we are.

To my favorite character,

"There's no place like home."

Cleverness: It Runs In The Family

This may not be the best email I've ever received but it sure is the best I've gotten in a long time.

I asked my dad earlier today what I should do (besides vacuum) about ants in my car. (Sidenote: I do not leave food in my car. So that is not why they are there. I blame it on the rain. Yeah. Yeah.)

This was his response to my email:

"Ask them where they need to go and take them or drive around until they need to go to the bathroom. Stop at a quick mart and when they get out to go, shut the door and drive off leaving them behind. If that doesn’t work get some ant bait at HD or Wal-mart."

Clever Daddy.

This Clears Up A Whole Lot

So, I read an article today that gave me insight on something that has intrigued me for years. Something that I could never find an answer for. Something that, until today, I'd resigned I would never understand.

Why was my sister always better at everything else?

(Let me pause to give a disclaimer. My sister was not better than me at EVERYTHING else. I have proven more than once that I can stuff more grapes in my mouth than she can. So, let's just make that clear. Plus, this is meant to be a sarcasm-filled humorous post and I have nor will I ever be envious of my sister's success. God made us different and gave us each awesome and unique talents to use for his glory. I will never be "enough proud" of my sister.)

Anyhoo.

This article states that studies have shown that "first-borns (and onlys) lead the pack in terms of educational attainment, occupational prestige, income and net worth." (Let's apply. My sister got better grades and gets paid more and don't even ask me what occupational prestige is. Because I don't know.)

(But we aren't going to talk about how I didn't study like she did and the fact that she's a teacher and deserves to get paid more and has had her job longer than I have.)

Although, they (who's they?) say that "birth order is significant in shaping individual success, but only for children of large families -- four or more siblings -- and in families where finances and parental time are constrained", I think there might be some truth to the study that applies to my sister and me.

Let's take a gander. Here's an except:


First-Borns


More conscientious, ambitious and aggressive than their younger siblings, first-borns are over-represented at Harvand and Yale as well as disciplines requiring higher education such as medicine, engineering or law. Every astronaut to go into space has been either the oldest child in her or her family or the eldest boy. And thoruhg history -- even when large families were the norm -- more than half of all Nobel Prize winners and U.S. presidents have been first-born.

I’m not going to lie. My sister is a go-getter. I am a dreamer. She’s gets things done. I just sit and think a cooler way to do it and then I never follow through.

My sister never went to Harvard or Yale. She went to Mississippi College (The Yale of Clinton, Mississippi). She was never an astronaut and I don’t think she ever wanted to be. She’s dreamed of being an opera singer since the day she could actually sing, I think. But if you could win a Nobel Prize for singing, she’d be a shoe-in. And she once said something along the lines of being a minister’s wife is like being a politician so I bet she could make a good run for president.

Middles

Middle children are more easy going and peer-oriented. Since they can get lost in the shuffle of their own families, they learn to build bridges to other sources of support and therefore tend to have excellent people skills. Middle children often take on the role of mediator and peacemaker.

I think since we don’t have a middle sibling, we share the qualities listed here. I’m easy going. She’s peer-oriented. We both have built bridges to other sources of support but know that our rock solid foundation is found in each other. We both have excellent people skills. We learned perfectly from our mother. Who learned from her mother. And we both often take on the role of mediator and peacemaker, depending on the situation.


Youngest


The youngest child tends to be the most creative and can be very charming -- even manipulative. Because they often identify with the underdog, the tend to champion egalitarian causes. (Youngest siblings were the earliest backers of the Protestant Reformation and the Emlightenment.)


Successful in journalism, advertising, sales and the arts.

I wouldn’t say I’m the most creative, but I am quite creative and have realized lately that I can be very charming. And manipulative.That’s a hard word to swallow but I’ve been told stories. I always root for the underdog and while I had to look up “egalitarian” to make sure I knew what it meant, I would have to say that I’m a champion of peace and fairness, as long as it coincides with God’s Word.

And depending on who you speak to, I’ve been pretty successful in journalism and the arts. In third grade, I wrote my own song on the piano and won a contest for it. But I couldn’t sell cake to a fat kid.


"These are just general trends...the whole birth-order theory can be turned on its head depending on the child's personality, the age gap between siblings and the family circumstances each child experiences during his or her formative years."


However you want to look at it, my sister is awesome. And although I threatened to trade her in a few times when we were younger, those were all empty promises. I'd never get rid of her. And I'm sure she'd say the same for me. Maybe.


It's because of her that I got to sit at the senior lunch table when I was a freshman in high school. And it's because of me that she'll never look at Funyons the same way again.

Always the second mother.

Our favorite past time -- Dairy Queen

Always there to catch me.

Live long and prosper. (I'm very sure that is what we are doing here. We learned at a very early age. Star Trek and Planet of the Apes.)

Back In The Saddle Again...Only Until Thursday Though

So I'm back from the beach and I brought a little sumn' summ' back with me. Wanna know what it is? Nope. Not sand or seashells. Ok, ok. A few clothing items I picked up from the outlet but that's not what I'm talking about.

Give up?

I brought back some sort of string of the Bubonic Plague. Ok. Not really. But I woke up Monday morning feeling like I'd swallowed the fire of a thousand suns. And then I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a freight train.

So, I think it's safe to say that Katie is not in good health.

I knew this would happen though. And here's why. I'm flying out to NYC on Saturday for a mission trip with my parents' church. It's a choir trip. Which means there will be singing. Of which I will be partaking in. And I will be singing a solo in one of the pieces.

I always get sick before I'm supposed to sing somewhere big. Always. Examples? Don't mind if I do.

1. Tenth grade. First big solo in Colonel Classics. Had to relinquish it because I seriously could not get the notes out of my mouth.

2. Eleventh grade. Lead role in the school musical. Two weeks before I got sick and barely got my voice back by opening night.

I could go on. But I won't.

So, I'm pill-popping like tomorrow is the last day that the world will ever sell prescription or over-the-counter drugs. In moderation, of course. No habits here.

Whatevs.

On to the really good stuff. You people didn't come here to hear me whine about my sickness. You came to see pictures of the cuteness that is Sir William Charles Johnson, a.k.a, the nephew.

We got down to the beach (Orange Beach, Ala.) on Thursday evening and I left Monday evening to get back to work today. I got a great tan, bonded with the nephew and the fam, and relaxed somethin' big. I also found a new favorite place to eat. Ribs & Reds. Best royal red shrimp I've ever had.

Anyway, on to the pictures. I don't have any of me because I was too busy taking them of my nephew. I think my dad has a good one of me and William. Hope to get it soon.

This is my favorite thing ever.

This is such a classic picture. I used to love doing this.

This kid loves showing his teeth!

And of course, the beach picture. Please excuse the naked man at the bottom left. I promise he had shorts on and he totally crashed my picture party here.

Anyhoo. There ya go. I'll be back again this week with some bloggity goodness. Hopefully.

Proof

Most people don't believe me when I tell them that my life is consumed by music and I feel like my life is a walking musical. They don't believe me when I tell them that it would not be a strange occurrence should a family member randomly burst into song and dance at a moment's notice.

Here's your proof:

Weekend Wrap-Up

It's late but I feel the need to wrap up the weekend on this here blog. So I'll do so quickly and efficiently with a numbered list.

1. Friday night I went to Easely Amused with Casey and her friend Nicole joined us. It was fun and great to get back to painting. I haven't painted anything in probably two years since I painted a Noah's Ark for William's nursery. It was a two canvas class called "Romeo and Juliet" we were her ginuea pigs on this project. Here's the finished product. 

2. Saturday, we had a good time with Taco Night with the fam. And homemade strawberry ice cream. Here's the latest documentation of the cuteness that is William Charles Johnson.

3. Sunday, we went to church of course and it was great as usual. We lunched at P.F. Chang's which was amazing then after Dad and I napped, we headed back to church for "Let Freedom Ring" and to watch Mom do her best impression of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America". And it was awesome, per usual. Her mother and father, I'm sure, were up in heaven going, "Yep, that's our Libby." There was also an awesome tribute to WWII where seven veterans from our church were interviewed about their time in the war. It was humbling, to say the least.

4. Tonight, I saw My Sister's Keeper and it was so good. And so sad. I held it together until about the middle and I lost it. I definitely had the ugly cry going on in the Vestavia Rave. Good thing it was dark.

5. And last but not least, I must comment on tonight's episode of The Bachelorette because there was much too much goodness to just leave things be. I'll take from a wall post I post on my Bachelorette buddy Bethany's wall tonight. 

1) Wes = D-bag. He makes me want to go buy steel-toed cowboy boots and learn Karate just so I roundhouse kick him in the face. 

2) Jake is killing me. He's totally THAT guy.

3) One word: Ed. And I add a few more words: did I tell you he was coming back or what?

4) P.S. He's precious. And if Jillian doesn't marry him, I will. No matter how old he is. But I won't move to ChicAHHHgo.

5) Jillian's yellow dress is clutch. And was it just me or does the necklace she has one look like it's lighting up?)

6). Ed is back! Woo! And see #1 for my thoughts on the last rose.

That is all.

My Dad's The Cooooolest

Ever since I was little, I've proclaimed my dad the hero of my life. It's never been more true before than it is today.

In exactly nine minutes (as I type this sentence), it will be my daddy's 29th Father's Day. That's a lot of plaster hands and hideous ties. Ya know what I mean?

Anyhoo, I know that anyone who knows me gets so sick of hearing me talk about my dad. Because I do it all. the. time. Whether it's something that he's taught me, a funny story or what he thought about the last movie he saw, I'm going to gladly share it with anyone I know. Or don't know, for that matter. 

Y'all, I can't get enough of my daddy. He's the bestest friend a 25-almost-26-year old girl can have. It's true. My dad has undoubtedly become (and always been) my most favorite person, my best friend and my confidant. 

He's the one I go to when I just need to bounce some ideas off of someone and he's definitely the one that I go to when I need some major life advice. Back when I went through the "quarter-life crisis", Big Bob was the one who heard me out and offered sound advice and made me really think about what I was doing. 

My most favorite memories of my dad from when I was little were our fishing trips, the back scratches (of which I'm pretty sure I still owe him approximately 10, 572), and sitting on the second pew in church cuddled up to him. My most favorite memories lately are our theological discussions, uninterrupted talks about nothing on the phone and our "two-for-one" movie outings.

My dad's been through a lot in his life, more than anyone like him should have to. But I strongly believe that all of that has made him the man he is today. A man who serves his God with everything that's in him, makes no excuses, and loves those in his life in spite of himself and with a love that only comes from God himself. 

He's my hero.

He's taught me what desperation for God is and has displayed that in so many ways. He's taught me what sacrifice is and what standing up for what is right looks like in all aspects of life. He makes no excuses. He loves my mom and has never done anything to make her, my sister, me or anyone else think otherwise.

He's my hero.

He always tells me he is proud of me. He was so proud to say that he was a "cheer dad" and he loves telling people what I do (even though most people think that I run the whole athletic department at Samford and am best friends with Pat Sullivan). He has often introduced himself as "Katie's dad" or "Anna's dad" and loves it (I think) when he's referred to as Libby's husband.

He's my hero.

I love the way he wells up with pride when he watches my mom sing, when he gets tears in his eyes (who doesn't) when my sister sings and the way his faces lights up with a smile anytime I'm trying to make a joke. 

He's my hero.

I love love love to tell people that he played football at Mississippi State. And that he held the state record for shot put until a few years ago. And that he lead the Peeple's Junior High soccer team to a district title. 

He's my hero.

I love telling people how the place he works is his mission field. I know what a strain it puts on him but I know that he puts everything he has into making a difference in those kids' lives. I know how his heart breaks for those kids and believe that he's passed on a just a little bit of that compassion to me. I pray for him and those kids everyday. 

He's my hero.

I made a list a while back in my journal of the things that I love about my dad. I did a list back on Mother's Day for my mom, and I thought it only appropriate to do the same for my dad.

Things I Love About My Dad:

- The way he fueled my love of forehead kisses.

- The way I get dizzy when he hugs me.

- Our very random talks about sports, politics, technology and religion.

- The way he always says, "Don't you worry about it. I'll take care of it."

- When he told the guy I went on my first date with: "Be careful with her. She's the child of a King...and me.

- His consistent reminding me of "who I am and Whose I am."

- His humility and his faith.

- That he played football at MSU.

- The way he recounts, so detailed, the day he became a Christian.

- How fondly he speak of his most special friends. 

- The way he loves my mom.

- His thoughtful secret gifts.

- His smile and his laugh.

- The way he cared for Papaw until the end, and the way he cares for Grandma.

- The way he cared for my cousin in a troubled time.

- His sincere interest in every one of my Stone cousin's lives.

- His love for his dogs.

- The way he makes sure every guy in the room knows I'm single. He's been know to start Sunday School lessons with the line: "Have you met my daughter Katie? She's the pretty one in the second row. And she's single, guys."

- The way he embarrasses me with that line.

- "Cheer dad"

- The fact that we are Facebook friends.

- His jokes.

- His daily email devotional and the long list of people that receive it.

I'm sure I could name more but at the risk of this becoming the marathon blog post, I'll cut it off at that.

Dad, I know that you know how much I love you because you've taught me through the years that you can never tell someone you love them enough. I'm so proud of you and I don't know what I would do without you. 

Happy Father's Day!

A "Beef" On I-20/59 South

So, Katie...what did you do on Friday? Well, folks, I'm glad you asked. I sat on Interstate 20/59 South in Tuscaloosa for four hours due to an overturned cattle truck about five miles ahead of me. Yes, five miles. That's not even half of the miles that traffic was backed up. I guess you could say that the Alabama Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation had quite the "beef" to deal with Friday afternoon. (Yes, I've been working on that sentence for three days now. Thank you. I'll be here all week. Tip your waitresses.)

Anyhoo, I sat going southbound for about an hour and half, fighting the urge to be a sheep and follow the herd (pun intended) of cars that were turning around and going northbound on the southbound shoulder. About another 30 minutes, I gave into the temptation (the Lord forgives), turned the happy Saturn around and started going the other way. As luck would have it, that traffic was halted and we soon found out that cops were giving tickets a-ways down to people who had done just what we had done.

So after 20 minutes of sitting there, facing the wrong direction, the Lord rained down mercy, parted the clouds and the cars and I found some gracious people who let me finagle my way into a gap between them that just happened to be the perfect size for my car. After displaying my phat drive-reverse-drive-reverse skillz, I was facing the right way again and all was well with the world (whew, dodged that bullet). Except, we were still stuck on the interstate with no signs of relief anytime soon.

I made friends with the lady behind me who happened to be an attorney in Birmingham, lives in Homewood and whose daughter graduated from MSU about the same time as me and was an RA in Sessums (small world). We also befriended a trucker who was stuck in the lane beside us and he was getting the 411 from his trucker buds who were driving by in the northbound lanes.

Meanwhile, I turned the car off and started taking pictures. What else was there to do, right? 

A look at the backup. Look closely and you can see the family who had gotten their kids' bikes out and started riding them up and down the shoulder. Remember, four hours, people. FOUR HOURS!

Another look going the other way. See the cars who are facing the other way. They hadn't found any gaps in the traffic yet to turn around. However, all cars behind me were able to get turned around and dodged the ticket bullet as well. I guess you could say I started a good trend.

A look at the view from the middle of the road. Craziness is what this is called.

This is the way that my speedometer looked for two full hours. Notice the almost full tank of gas and I was only a little less than 50 miles from Birmingham (I had driven about 10 miles on Thursday after filling up). 

And this is what I thought of the whole ordeal.

And this kid started his own dance party.

The news crew came out to point and laugh at us and taunt us with other forms of transportation. I really need to learn how to fly.

I left Birmingham at 12:45 p.m., came to stand still traffic at 1:30 p.m., finally began moving at 5:00 p.m., and arrive in Jackson around 8:00 p.m., just in time to enjoy a good old-fashioned sleepover at my bud Stuff's (that's Stephanie, for you normal people out there) new crib in Byram. It has an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Not really, but it's pretty huge. And it has a waterfall. Word.

Saturday was spent celebrating the Sister's birthday in grand Walden fashion, complete with pork tenderloin, potato salad, Daddy-style green beans, fruit parfaits and cookie cake. Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like good eats, right?

And what would complete a post-home visit blog post better than pictures of this little guy. We were like two peas in a pod this weekend.

 

Dude, I totally wasn't ready!

Guys, this place is a pig sty. No worries. I'll take care of it. 

Anna and Ross better hope he can either deliver a mean tackle, shoot free throws blind-folded and with one hand tied behind his back or hit bombs over the left field wall because this picture has future janitor written all over it.

Dearmom

Today would've been my sweet Dearmom's 91st birthday. Dearmom is mom's mom and she was just that. A dear mom. 

Dearmom died just short of her 90th birthday last year in a freak car accident. About a week before I believe. 

She was such a special woman with a special heart rooted in the love of her Savior and her Bulldogs. I have no doubt that she's up in heaven right now, sitting next to her Willie (my Boppie), listening to him talk about the good ol' days at Mississippi State. Y'all, the man could tell a story. 

She's probably singing, "Do Lord" too while also reminding the ladies not to "guffaw".  

Dearmom taught me so much through the years that she was here on Earth. She showed me how to be a woman of God and gave me the most important woman in my life and best role model I could ever ask for -- my mom. 

At the funeral, the minister talked about a twinkle that all of the Stone women have in their eye. He said there was just something special about it. Since that time, I've started noticing that twinkle. And it reminds of the dear woman who put it there. 

She instilled some great values in this family and, with Boppie, built an unbelievable and undeniable legacy of faith, family and compassion. She has welcomed to her family three sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law, 12 grandchildren and eight grand-spouses, and 12 great-grandchildren. And she welcomed all of them with an overflowing cup of love. 

So, Happy Birthday Dearmom! We miss you and love you. See you soon. 

Baby Baluga In The Deep Blue Sea..

Does anybody remember that episode of Full House where Michelle walks around singing "Baby Beluga" during the whole episode? I love that show but I hate that episode because I end up singing the song for the rest of the day.

And now I'll be singing it for the rest of the night. And so will you.

Anyhoo...

The whole point is that I actually saw a baby beluga whale this weekend. 

I went to visit Bethany in Athens, Ga., this weekend and we made a little trip to Atlanta Saturday to go to the Georgia Aquarium. 

And y'all, that place was well worth the 35 bones I spent on a premium plus pass.

It was amazing to spend an afternoon with so much of God's creation. There really aren't words so I'll just show you...

Very cool wall o' fish. Yeah, that's a whale shark at the top.

Cool porthole in the bottom of the big tank where all the sharks and rays and fish are.

This is the tunnel under the fish tank.

This is right when you walk in. There are cownose rays and bonnethead sharks in there that you can touch. Really neat.

And here's Niko, the baby beluga.

It really was a fun day, even if I never saw any of the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

I can't wait to go back and visit so I can see more of Athens (such a cute town) and do more tourist stuff in the ATL. Like Six Flags. Because you really can't go to ATL and not go to Six Flags. Or at least I can't.

Anyway, it's always good to see my bfry Bethany. We get each other and we fight like sisters. It's kinda funny. It's a weird kinda love we got for each other. Plus, we can whine to each other about still being single.

And we tell each other that we are hot. You know, just to boost the ego a little bit.

Bethany also gave me the grand tour of the UGA campus, including driving past the phat KD house and showing me the football weight room on the way up to her office.

It's weekends like that one and the ones that I get to spend with my family that make me so grateful for the blessings that God has given me in my family and friends. It's no mistake that God hand-picks people for your life and places them there in certain times for certain reasons.

I can't imagine my life without the greatest friends and family a girl could ask for. To those reading, when I'm with you, I never feel alone. I never feel inferior or uncool or unpopular or not wanted. Thank you for being the best part of my life. I mean, besides God, of course.

Surprise!

We had a surprise party for my mom's birthday on Saturday. Her birthday was actually Sunday, but we started the "par-tay" early. She was shocked and everyone else was excited as you can see from the picture below.

All her buds from church (DMBC) and school (Forest Hill) plus her sister Judy and like-sister Janet were here to celebrate. She was so excited and so surprised. It was a great day!

After the party ended, we headed down to Florence to Anna and Ross's house to grill hamburgers, which was the only thing that Mom wanted for her birthday this year. She got lots of other great gifts but that was her one request. So fun was had by all, and William showed off his b-ball skillz for the fam. His new name is Baby Shaq. The kid can ball.

And what would be a family post on this blog without a close up of the preciousness that is my nephew. He loves his Aunt KK. Which he can say now. Well, sort of. It kinda comes out as "tay-tay" but it's close enough. He loves to give out kisses. We just have to keep him away from the girls at daycare. The kid has already got "game". 

 

Sunday Post #2 (Mother's Day Edition)

Four of the most wonderful women in my life are the greatest mothers I've ever known. They all have made me the woman I am today and have impacted my life in indescribable ways.

Grandma (Dad's mom) has always satisfied my love for food. Always. She's one of the most amazing cooks I know and literally fed my hunger for black olives every Sunday for countless years.

Dearmom (Mom's mom) always brought a smile to my face. Whether she was correcting your grammar, reminding you not to "gaffaw" in public, cheering on the Bulldogs or telling stories about Willie (her husband), I always enjoyed visiting with her. 

My sister was my greatest enemy until she moved away to college. (Laugh, laugh. Snicker, snicker.) But if I have to be honest, she always been the one person that I wanted to be like. However, she also taught me that being yourself is the best person to be. She's my second mother, of course, and was never afraid to tell me that a boy that I was dating was "not the one" so I didn't need to waste my time.

But oh, Libby, my mother. The one who gave birth to me. I can't even describe my love for this woman. But I'll try. I've compiled a list of my most favorite things about my mother and I hope it gives you just a glimpse of how amazing she is.

(If this post seems jumbled and not concentrated, it's because it is. I'm typing while watching the Celtics/Magic game.)

- Her passion for the Mississippi State Bulldogs is unparalleled. I can always count on my mom to call after the last shot of a basketball game, or after the first timeout. I, seriously, talk to her about sports more than I do with my dad, the one who played.

- I LOVE LOVE LOVE listening to her sing. I can't remember a day in my life that I've been down and hearing my mom sing hasn't brought a smile to my face. And it makes me so proud when people talk about how beautiful her voice is.

- Her nonchalant reminders.

- Her smile and her laugh.

- Her massive but close circle of friends.

- The way people talk about her, whether it be her personality or her talent.

- The way she sees someone she knows everywhere she goes.

- Her humility.

- Her compassion for her students.

- The way her students love her. Past and presents. I love meeting people she taught when she first started teaching and hearing them talk about how much she impacted their lives. There are countless people out there in whom she instilled a love for music who would have never had that if not for her.

- The way she would take students home when she worked at Siwell and Forest Hill. 

- The way she loves my Daddy. And the way she shows it.

- How she cared for Dearmom, sacrificially and unconditionally.

- The bond she has with her siblings.

- The way she is just more than my mother. She's my friend.

- The way she taught me to love my God. 

I'm sure there is more to add but I know this list is getting long. 

Long post, short. Mom, you're incredible. I thank God everyday for picking me to be in your family. Happy Mother's Day!

(This is where the picture of me and my mom would go but I have no pictures of the family on the Macbook yet. My apologies.)

So Much To Include, I Don't Even Have A Title For It

Instead of breaking this post up into several mini-posts, I thought I'd just combine all the things I've been meaning to blog about into one gigantor post. Why not?

First things first...

GO DAWGS! I was so excited for the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday I could've peed my pants. But I was in the middle of the latter half of a softball triple header and well, time doesn't allow for such accidents.

Ladies and Gentlemen...you're SEC Tournament MVP.


And for the record, as I was googling for the above photo, I found this...

That's Emily Howell Stringer, people. No doubt she is praying over the Bulldogs. I just thought it was funny that I googled "Mississippi State 2009 SEC Champs" and found this. Is this a sign for things to come for our football pups? I sure hope so.

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Here are my favorite quotes of the week:

Me: This is the best Philly I've ever had.
Baseball Player #1: That's what Craig Ferguson said. Including Philadelphia.
Me: Hmfmmm? (Confused with my mouth full.)
BP #1: It says it up on the wall over there.
Me: (reading off the wall) "The best Philly Cheesesteak I've ever had...including Philedelphia. - Craig Ferguson
Me: I wonder when he came to Birmingham.
BP #2: It was probably a Wednedsay.

Washington head Coach Lorenzo Romar: "You win the SEC conference tournament, it seems like you'd be better than a 13-seed." (Scared much, Mr. Romar?)

Rick Stansbury: "Only thing I know is, we don't have to worry about sitting on the bubble. We busted that bubble."

Jarvis Varnado: "I never thought that I'd be sitting here SEC champs and a MVP. I just thank God for it."

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Has anyone seen Jimmy Fallon this week? I love Jimmy Fallon. He is so humble in his humor. He laughs at himself. So cute.

Anyway, he's been honoring the Chattanooga men's basketball team this week for their "accomplishment" of getting a 16-seed in the NCAA tournament. He's "rooting" for the underdog and has put together a couple of shorts to go along with them.

Check it out.

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And this. Good stuff.



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And finally, the fam minus my bro-in-law (because you know, he's got to tend to Jesus' business) came to visit me over the past few days. They came in on Sunday afternoon, got to see me doin' my thang at softball and then I got to take the day off on Monday to hang out. Then we had lunch on Tuesday before they left. Good times.

Dad's hugs did not disappoint, mom smiled a lot and of course, I was funny enough to make my sister laugh a good bit. It's what I do. The nephew is as precious as ever and as soon as I figure out how to get the pictures I took with my fancy new Canon Rebel camera off the camera and onto the computer, I'll upload and show you just how precious he is.

One of the highlights was watching the little dude and my dad ride the carousel at the Galleria. Then he wanted to ride again, so I joined the boys and rode myself.

My name is Katie, I'm 25 and a half, and I rode a carousel on Monday with a bunch off kiddos. And it was the highlight of my week.

Thank you very much.