I'm back.

So, my blogging "break" only lasted a little over a week. For some of you that's nothing, but those of you who are regular blog readers of mine know that 9 days is way too long for me to go without posting. So I'm back.
I've always said that in the midst of trials, it's important to focus on the good things in life. That's exactly what I've decided to do. As you will see below, the good things in my life heavily outweigh the bad. This realization allows me to believe that I am going to be just fine.

So, I've compiled a list of things that have particularly made me happy this past week and a half:

1. My parents. THEY ARE THE BEST. I can't even begin to describe all they've done for me, not only during this time, BUT ALWAYS.

2. My sisters. Want to know how great they are? They BOTH changed their plans last weekend and drove to Starkville because they knew I needed them here. Wow.

3. Henry. Just looking at that face makes me smile. I melt when he says "Lala" or kisses me on the cheek. Spending time with him somehow makes me worry-free.

Bully, Henry, and "grandaddy" at Super Bulldog Weekend.

Henry hugging on his favorite stuffed animal.

4. My friends. Overwhelmed is a good word to describe how I've felt this past week because of my amazing friends. I'll never know what I've done to deserve such loyal, caring friends. They've gone out of their way to check on me and make me laugh, even if I don't really feel like it. This friend allowed me to spend the entire day with her and her little one the other day. (He did a pretty good job of making "LT" smile, too!). This friend insisted on flying me to Texas to see her in a couple of weeks, so this other friend and I are heading to Alpine soon! Yay! My "teacher friends" are awesome too. I won't even go into the number of encouraging phone calls, messages, emails, and cards I've received from caring friends, too. I'm so undeserving.

5. My students. I missed a couple of days of school last week and when I got back, several of them had cards and pictures for me. They said "I love you, Ms. T" or "I missed you." Even though they can most defintely drive me crazy sometimes, :) spending many hours a day with them helps keep my mind off of other not-so-happy thoughts!

6. Flowers. As you probably know from previous posts, I'm a big fan of flowers. I love them. Last weekend when Kristen, Rob, and Henry were here, we planted flowers in my yard. I also bought fresh flowers for the inside of my house (Oprah says you should ALWAYS have fresh flowers in your house!). It's amazing how flowers really CAN make you feel better. Aren't they pretty? Maybe I'll be a gardener when I grow up.

7. MAX. WHAT IN THE WORLD WOULD I DO WITHOUT MY DOG?! Enough said.

8. Ann Taylor Loft. You know that's my absolute favorite. Last weekend, I told my mom that I needed to go shopping, so we headed to ATL and did just that. I bought several new pieces, which made me happy. New clothes ALWAYS makes you feel better, right?

9. (Lastly, but most definitely not least!) God's neverending love! I know I have not been forgotten, and that although the uncertainty of my future scares me at times, God DOES have a plan.

Thank you so much for your sweet blog comments and prayers! I hope you all had a great weekend.