What I Do Instead of Packing and the Sweat Box

So, this week was suppose to be all about packing considering we are moving like in a few days. Well, I have gotten a little distracted. First, Monday was Memorial Day. No one packs on a holiday. Plus, Michael had the day off of work, and I didn't want to miss spending time with him. Nothing much got accomplished on Monday. Then Tuesday came along, and I did get started on the kitchen and here and there, but got bored with it and quit thinking I have plenty of time. Why I thought this, I don't know, because I definitely am hostessing at a baby shower this Saturday. Plus, Benny was in town to meet all of the family. Tuesday night was filled with eating hamburgers and desserts. Luke, Amanda, Kate, Aunt Hilda, Uncle Mike, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Jennifer, and Uncle Chuck were all at Momma's. Now Wednesday, well I have a very good excuse for not packing on this day too. Courtney, Cindy, Neshia, and I have been planning for weeks to go see A.K. and her new baby boy. We went grocery shopping for her and got some flowers and took them to Hulka....way out in the boonies. We all got to hold sweet baby Elijah and catch up with A.K. and give her a little bit of a break I hope. After we left we went to eat at Newk's, which I have never been to before, and I loved it! It was very good. I would definitely recommend it. Once I got home, for some reason, I was very sleepy, so I took a 2 and half hour nap. I did go walking though after the long nap:) So, nothing was got packed on Wednesday. Now, it is Thursday, I and I will say that I got a lot done today. The kitchen and living room are packed! YEAH! Thank you to my momma:) love you! I couldn't have done it without her help Packing is not an easy job. It is very overwhelming. I am ready for it all to be over with and it will be soon!
On a different note, our little rental house is like a sweat box. Something is wrong with our air conditioner. UGGH! When we turn it on, the house gets hotter. Now, I am not rocket scientist, but I believe the AC is suppose to COOL the house not make it hot. So, last night Michael blew up our air mattress and put it in the living room underneath the only fan in the place. As soon as we lay down, we hear the air start to leak! We went to sleep anyways to wake up on the floor at 4:30 in the morning. Fortunately, the house had cooled down a little bit, so we got to get back in our own bed. It is yet to be decided what we are going to be doing tonight...because I threw away the leaky air mattress. Oops!
Well, I better get back to work!

Momma is ENGAGED

Yeah for Momma and Benny! He popped the question, and she said yes! We picked them up from the airport this morning, and she showed me the bling. It is hard to believe that my Momma is getting married, but we couldn't be happier. Their wedding date is June 27, 2009. It is coming up quick. They want a small ceremony with just family, and it will be in Florida. Benny lives there so, Momma will be living in Florida after the wedding. I am not too excited that she will be far away, and it is cheaper to fly than drive. I just know there will be many long phone conversations ahead and e-mails. They will be only a 30 minute drive to Disney World:)

We love you! Congratulations!

A Sip & See and the Beginning of Summer Weddings

I have recently broadened my vocabulary and added "sip and see." I had never heard of a sip and see until Amanda, my fabulous sister-in-law, informed of what it was. It is very similar to a baby shower. The hostesses make up some punch or sweet tea, since we do live in the south. It is not a proper function until there is sweet tea in the mix. I personally do not care for sweet tea, but anyways, back to defining a sip and see. So, there is punch or sweet tea and guest come and sip on a drink and see the baby. Gifts are not a requirement, just your presence. And who would not want to see sweet baby Kate? My Aunt Jane made lunch for the family and some fabulous punch, which I want the recipe for. We visite, ate, and of course took pictures! It was great getting to see everyone on the Cantrell side of the family.

The guest of honor: Katherine Tally Cantrell. She is in a beautiful dress handmade by my Aunt Jane. Look how sweet!

The Cantrell Crew: Amanda, Kate, Luke, Dad, Nina, Michael, Katie, and Granny

Dad and Nina looking at really really old pictures.

Luke and I with our Granny

four generations of Cantrells

After the "sip and see" we headed to Jackson for Laurel and Price's wedding at Woodland Hills Baptist Church. The santuary was absolutely gorgeous! The flowers were amazing. And of course the bride, Laurel, was stunning. You can tell from the picture below. The reception was at the Colonial Country Club. There was food, food, and more food. I wish I had gotten a picture of the cake. It was great sight to see and taste. I doubt there was anything left except for the topper. There was a live band to dance to. I had such a great time seeing all my Chi Omega friends and doing some much needed catching up!

the bride, Mrs. Laurel Donahoo on May 23, 2009

Emmylou! My best friend. I miss her so much. I would go back to college just to hang out at the Chi Omega house. She is taking over the Law School world at "the other college" Ole Miss. I would definetely not want to go against her the in court room. LOVE YOU!!

My old roomie/best friend, and soon to be neighbor Whitney! She was hitting up three weddings this day! Wow! a very busy social butterfly. I can't wait to live close again. Maybe we will get to play "lamps." For those who do not know what playing lamps is.... I will tell you. Back when Whitney and I were freshman at the great Mississippi State University we would play lamps. We lived in Sessums dormatory(freshman), McKee dormatory(sophomore), and the Chi Omega House (junior), which only had florescent lighting. So, we brought lamps to college and turn them on instead of the big florescent lights to make the dorm room seem a little more homey. You may think we are crazy, but it worked! It would rock your socks off!! hahaha (another inside joke from freshman/sophomore year)

me with my hubby....so handsome! love you peanut! The drive back to Tupelo was terrible! It rained the whole way! Michael drove the whole time...what a trooper. We were very tired and went straght to bed. LIGHTS OUT!

Sunday morning came early, but we did roll out of bed and get ready for church. It was a good service. It was our last Sunday at Gloster Street. We went out to eat with some old and new friends at Chili's. We had some great laughs. After Chili's we headed to Starbucks with our friends Courtney and John Vines. We sat outside and just enjoyed each other's company. The weather felt great. It was over cast and the wind was blowing. I could have stayed all day. I am going to really miss my Courtney. We never run out of things to talk about!

Headed Down South

Michael is going to Jackson as we speak or write, because he has an interview with the Chief of Police at the Brandon Police Department. Yeah for Hubby! He has been offered a position in the animal control unit with the Brandon Police. Which means...if the interview goes well he will be going to police school this summer or more like July. I am so proud of you Peanut! Thanks to everyone for your prayers!

Swimming Upstream

So, as you know from my last post that Michael and I started packing up the house. I had forgotten how much trouble it was to move the last time, but I am convinced we have more junk this time. It leaves me wondering...where does it all come from? We did clean out closets, and we have about 8 bags of clothes we are donating. Yeah!!! But..I do feel like we are "swimming up stream." We started packing the kitchen and attic up. The entertainment center is completely packed/emptied. Boxes have officially taken over the place. We live in a small space anyways, but now we have little walkways in between boxes. Hopefully we can sell or get rid of your dining room table with chairs, entertainment center, and green couches. If those things were gone...I would have places for the boxes. In the meantime....we have to extra careful not to trip!

boxes, boxes, and boxes

I am very glad to say that Michael and I are going to be having a peaceful weekend at home. We are going to start some major packing, because the days are getting few from now and until the time we move. Hopefully, we will make lots of progress. Thanks to my school and the local liquor store we have lots of boxes to fill:) Plus, the weather is supposed to be rainy ALL weekend, so we won't be tempted to play outside. Let me back-track a second... I made us sound like alcholics. We just get the boxes...already empty. I am also looking forward to getting to spend time with my wonderful husband. It has been too long since we have gotten to chill out together. Love you sweetpea! Let the packing BEGIN!

The Fighting Okra

I got accepted into graduate school! I will be working on my Master's of Education Degree. Delta State has an online program where I never have to go to class, and I can still earn my degree! I am so pumped and nervous all at the same time. I will probably only take one class a semester while I am teaching and load up on classes in the summer time while I am off. Lots I new things and changes are going on in our lives, but they are all exciting. I will be moving, starting a new job, and furthering my education. Prayer will be a necessity!

We Love Our Mommas

Michael and I are both very close to our moms, so our weekend was filled with making them each feel important. Last Thursday, we spent a long time picking our gifts for each one. The cards had already been mailed, which also took a lot of time to choose. So, as soon as we got the gifts home, I of course wrapped them to make sure they would be ready. Saturday morning, Michael and I woke up early to make the drive to Jackson. It was a stormy morning, but it quickly passed over. We were very thankful. It stinks to drive in the rain. So, we finally make it there. We made a quick stop for me to sign the lease to our new apartment and then heading to Case's house. When we got there we found out Mrs. Karon had to work that night. Someone had called in sick, and she was picking up their shift. So, her hair was in rollers, and I was informed to not post any of those pictures. Which of course I wouldn't! Yes I would. I think Mrs. Karon is beautiful no matter whether she has rollers in her hair or not. But, I did make a promise, which I am keeping. I have to say, I really got lucky with my mother-in-law. She is the most sincere sweetest person. She always listens to me whether I am right or wrong. She gangs up with me on Michael. hehe! only when he needs it. I can honestly say I love my mother-in-law! We had a great visit, and I think she liked her gifts. She loves to read, so we gave her two devotional books! After we got all caught up on life, Michael and I drove back to Tupelo. We won't have too many more of the back in forths! Sunday, we went to church with my mom in the morning. Afterwards, we let her open her gift at home. Then, we took out to eat at O'Charley's. I took her shopping all afternoon ending with a 2 mile walk. It was good to have a day with my mom. Eventhough we live two minutes from each other we never really get to spend that much time together. So, it was my joy to monopolize her time. My mom is not just a mom. She is also my best friend. It is going to be hard to live far away from each other. I am not looking forward to that. Luke came to visit that night! It was great to see my big brother! We all got to eat dinner together and enjoy each others company.

picture of us at the Case's to prove we did go:)

Momma with her present: Willow Tree figurine of a brother and sister.

Me and Momma

Teachers Out on the Town

Last weekend, my friends from work...Saltillo Elementary...took me out for a night on the town. I don't want to call it a good-bye party, but a see you later party. I will still be back up here to visit even after we move. Either way, we started out at Las Margaritas to eat dinner. I love to eat here. It is one of my favorites :) But we made the mistake of eating in the town we worked in. We were constantly looking to see if any students or parents of students walked in the restaurant. Not that we do not all love our little students, but sometimes you need to be a woman and not Mrs. Teacher...if you know what I mean. You need to let your hair down sometimes, and we definetely did. We had lots of laughs and good times. My wonderful friends gave me some gorgeous pottery, and I can not wait to put it up in our new home. It is absolutely perfect. Well, after we ate dinner, some went home and the rest of us headed to Vanelli's to sit on "the porch" and listen to some live music. We were hoping for some karoke (I can't spell), but no such luck. There was a man playing and singing some of the greats of country music: Garth Brooks, George Strait, and etc. We heard that the Spunk Monkeys were playing at Woody's, so we load up and head there. We get there, and yes I got IDed. The bouncer man looked at my liscense and looked back at me two times. I had to inform him that I chopped off my hair after the picture. Seriously, does he know who he is talking to? Mrs. Good-Two-Shoes in person. So, I got in with the rest of the gang, and we listened for a little while. It was extremely loud. We had to scream to even hear each other. Needless to say, we didn't stay very long. Remember, we are all teachers. We have to be around loud little ones all day....who needs that at the night too? At this point things are winding down, so we drive to Barnes and Noble for some coffee. We sat outside and chit-chatted. It felt so good sitting outside in the breeze. All around it was an absolutely fabulous night. I work with the best ladies ever! No one can ever replace them. Okay, I can't think about anymore or I will cry. But, I love you all!

The beautiful pottery my friends gave me.

One side of the table: Monica, Me, and Rhonda

The other side of the table: Cindy, Sarah, and Courtney

Me and Courtney

Me and Cindy

Spring Wedding Showers

I am so excited my friends are getting married! Wedding showers are so fun to go to. You get to watch the bride-to-be open all her goodies and visit with friends. Marriage is such a wonderful thing to celebrate. Spring wedding showers mean summer weddings! I will post wedding pictures and write about the events as soon as I can!

This picture of my lil'Chi-Omega sis, Katherine or the future Mrs. Dendy, and me at her

Home and Garden Shower on April 11, 2009.

The wedding date is June 13, 2009

This is a picture at Claire Finn's church wedding shower on May 3, 2009.

The future Mrs. Mitchell is in the middle of me and Katherine B.

The wedding date is June 6, 2009.

Dad.... through my eyes

My dad is a man that wears many hats. He is a father, husband, son, brother, uncle,musician, antique car mechanic/remodeler, banker, and most recently became a grandfather.
Lots of people told me growing up that I looked like my mom until they saw my dad. You can tell from the picture below that we have an uncanny resemblance to each other. I did get my eyes and mannerisms from my mom, but everything else is Larry Q. In other words, I couldn't deny him being my dad even if I wanted to, but forturnately I don't want to.
I have always been "daddy's little girl." That is something you never escape or grow out of. I found this to be true through experience.
One of my favorite pictures growing up, which I wish I had, is of me and my dad in true form. He is underneath an antique car working on something down there, and I am laying there right beside him with both of our feet hanging out. All you can see in the picture is the car and our legs and feet sticking out. It's a great photo. I believed my dad could rope the moon and hang the stars.
Somehow growing up my dad let me stop aging at 12 years old. I was 12 for a good 3 three years at least. I think I did stop growing to him, or he just didn't want me to become a teenager. I can't blame him, because he knew the next thing to come was dating and boys. This meant for the first time in my life there might be another boy or man in my life. I can't imagine how scary that can be for dad or any parent. But, it didn't matter what boy walked through the door, because I would always be his little girl. I think I picked a good one in the end. My husband treats me like queen.
My dad has taught me many things over the years. He taught me never to give up on something I wanted. He taught me how to be a hardworker in school and outside of school. Many people do not know how hard school is for me. My dad and I could really relate on that subject, because he had a hard time in school too. He taught me the meaning of true forgiveness. The kind where you let go of something and don't keep bringing it back up. He taught me to be my own person and have my own mind. When I grew up that became a problem, because we disagree sometimes. But never the less, he taught me to be that way.
We don't get to pick our parents. God picks them for us. God picks the ones HE needs us to have to mold and shape us to who HE wants us to be later in life. Are parents perfect? Of course they aren't. They are humans and make mistakes like everyone else, but love will they have will always remain. So, in closing, I know my dad has help shape and mold me into who I have become, and that I am thankful.

See! Even at 24 years old... I am still my dad's little girl.