memories and America.

Today I'm thinking about...

1. my cousin Kyle.He was killed in a car accident in 1990 at the age of 17. Today would've been his 38th birthday. While I was only 9 when he passed away, I still think about him and miss him every day. I can't help but wonder what he would be like as a 38 year old.

I can't wait to see him again one day. What a day of rejoicing that will be!

2. Every single person who has ever served or who is currently serving in the U.S. Miltary.

Particularly these 2 great men, who both served in WWII:

- My Dada (deceased in 2006)and

-my Papaw (deceased in 1987)

pictured with my cousin, Adelia on the left and me on the right...

I absolutely could not have been blessed with 2 greater, more respected men than my grandfathers.

I write this post not to sadden you, but to make you stop and:

a). Enjoy every second with those you love and

b). Stop what you're doing tomorrow and THANK A SOLDIER!

If you're in the military, and you just so happen to be reading this post--THANK YOU and

Happy Memorial Day to you. God bless the USA!

This is for you TRACY!

Here you go, Tracy!
You're going to have to wait to get your "happy" in the mail to find out exactly what you won, but I'll give you a hint...it came from one of these shelves:Ok, Ok, I kid. I would never give something that wonderful to somebody who couldn't appreciate it. ;)

Your happy will look like this, though: It's summery and fun and I hope you enjoy it.

It's coming your way this week!

She's older than me!

Happy birthday to my dear childhood friend, highschool friend, college roommate, sorority sister, and now "adult" friend, Alexa!

She's one of a kind and I love her so!

Scotty, Mason, and a sweet little kitty.

Yay for American Idol's newest winner, Scotty!


It makes me sad to think that I have to wait until January for the next season. Boo.

On a complete subject change, I came across both of these videos recently. They're both about the recent Alabama tornadoes, and they're both about sweet, loyal pets. Take a look, but be sure the kleenex is handy.

S.U.M.M.E.R.

Any other teachers out there feeling a little like this right now?:

I have NO clue...

...who is going to win this thing!

I usually have a slight intuition as to who will win the title, but I really just don't know this year.

Before tonight, I was kinda thinking it would be Scotty (after all, his idol is George Strait!), but did you watch the show tonight? Lauren totally rocked it.

So, not only is tomorrow my very last day to report to school until August, but it's also the season finale of American Idol!

I can't wait.

Lauren? Scotty? Hurry! It's the last chance to make your predictions!

nice try.

a special day!

Happy birthday to my lovely mom!When it's one of my loved one's birthday, I sometimes like to make a list of the appropriate number of reasons why I love that particular person (ex. if it's your 27th birthday, I may make a list of 27 reasons why I love you!). Since I'm pretty sure my mom would not want me to disclose her age on my blog, I'm just going to make a list of 22 things that I love about her. You know...since it's May 22nd. Don't get me wrong. Given the opportunity, I could come up with eleventy billion reasons why I love her, but I'll limit it for now.

Here you go!

1. She's an all around beautiful person. If you think she's pretty on the outside, you should see what she's like on the inside!

2. What a giving person she is! If you look in the dictionary under the word "selfless," you will see a picture of my mom.

3. She sings beautifully.

4. She cooks fabulously.

5. She's my mom, 3rd sister, and best friend all in one. I don't spend time with her because I feel like I have to. I choose to spend time with her.

6. She sets an amazing example to EVERYBODY she encounters.

7. She's the best grandmother to those sweet boys, and oh how they love their "Lita"!

8. The definition of the word love is: "Seeking the best for others regardless of its cost to you." Yep. That's my mom.

9. She stood in the heat to support me during my half marathon a couple of years ago and didn't complain once. She hates to sweat.

10. She's calm. ALWAYS. You should spend time with her whenever you're stressed.

11. She listens.

12. She is Max's 2nd favorite person. He loves her.

13. She helps me do does my taxes for me EVERY YEAR.

14. She's a huge sports fan and loves the bulldogs as much as I do!

15. She's the most perfect person I know.

16. She's organized. Beyond description.

17. She's the smartest person I know. She's the 4.0 highschool valedictorian, who can beat anybody at Jeopardy. (Thanks for my brains, Dad! :))

18. She and my dad have set the ultimate example of what a Christian-based marriage looks like.

19. She knows every word to every hymn in a Baptist Hymnal, and can quote scriptures from the Bible like nobody I've ever seen.

20. She's my role model. You can probably understand that after reading #1-19.

21. She loves her family more than life itself.

22. She's the best.mom.ever.

Happy birthday mommy!

attention all prayer warriors!

Prayer request:

A coworker of mine and her family were involved in a serious car accident yesterday, resulting in the death of her 11 year-old son. She and another one of her sons were airlifted to Jackson with serious injuries. I've been told that their conditions are serious, but that the doctors expect them both to make a slow, but complete recovery. Thank God.

She's a wonderful person, and a fantastic teacher assistant. The 11 year-old who lost his life was a reading student of mine several years ago. I remember him being a good kid who loved his mom!

Pray for the recovery of Ms. Gandy and her son, and for the entire family is they cope with the tragic loss of Ms. Gandy's youngest son. Click here for more info.

Tomorrow is the last day with my 2nd graders, and you better believe my students will leave my classroom tomorrow knowing just how much they're loved.

This is such a sad, sad situation that reminds me how short life can be.

WINNER!

Well, if you didn't enter my blog giveaway, then you really missed out! I have a winner, and she is going to receive something super cute--all for just leaving a comment on my blog! I entered in each your names (once if you just commented; twice if you commented AND started following my blog; and three times if you commented, started following, AND gave me a blog shout out).

I used this site to generate a "fair" winner, and the results are in....
The winner of my summer giveaway is...

TRACY!

Congrats to you, my little Ole Miss loving friend! You're going to get something super cute in the mail really soon, so get excited (...and ok, I promise it won't be maroon and white)!

Oh, and I'm going to post a picture in the next day or 2 of what Tracy will be receiving, so all of you non-commenters can see what you're missing. :)

Have a fantastic weekend, all!

Top 3 and a hobby maybe?

I love Haley. I love Scotty. I love Lauren.

I'm not sure what's going to happen here. If you had asked me 2 hours ago, I would've told you that I was convinced that Haley would get the boot after tonight, but did you see her performances? She just has such a unique voice, and I like her.

Now, Scotty? He's the cutie pie country music singer. I'm a sucker for artists like Jake Owen and Josh Turner. There's just something a little sexy about a guy who can reach those low notes. Whether he wins this competition or not, he'll be successful. No doubt.

And I would have to say that out of the 3, Lauren has been the most consistent. I fell in love with her when I first saw her audition. While her voice is amazing, I'm worried that she may not have that unique touch it takes to win the competition. Still--she was amazing tonight!

I have been unable to vote, because if I did, I would probably have to vote for them equally, and that just doesn't make much sense, now does it?What's going to happen tomorrow night?

Aren't you excited about the season finale next week? I am!

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Now, what is this hobby that I speak of?

Well...that's where I need your help.

You may recall my previous post: 30 things I learned in my 20s. Number 20 on my list stated that I think everyone should have a hobby or 2, and I mentioned that I wanted to turn over a new leaf now that I'm 30. I think I'd like to step out on a limb and learn how to do something new this summer. I am pretty active, so I'm not really wanting to learn how to play a new sport or anything that requires physical activity. (Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm too old to take up soccer or gymnastics).
I'm actually leaning more along the lines of something "crafty"--like sewing, knitting, monogramming (though I'm afraid it may be too expensive), etc. --- or possibly even something musical. I'm no singer, nor do I own any musical instrument, but I do think that it would be fun to learn how to play the guitar or re-learn how to play the piano.

I just want to find something that I enjoy doing during any free time I may have during my summer. I'd like to find something that is relaxing and fun and NOT anything that's too stressful! :) I also can't afford for my "new hobby" to cost too much money, so I'm sure that's going to put a limit on some things too.

How can you help me decide how to spend my summer?

Wordless Wednesday.

Everybody at my school-including me- is going crazy. I'm just not sure I'm going to make it until next Wednesday. You care, don't you?

Ooops. Sorry. I forgot it was supposed to be "wordless".

summertime giveaway!

It's that time again!
Time for what, you ask?

Time for:

1. ME to give something away to a lucky blog follower..
and..
2.YOU to try to be the lucky winner by:

a. Clicking "follow" on the right side of my blog

b. Leaving me a comment letting me know you're following (don't be modest--I LOVE getting emails and blog comments from people who read! I would also love to know how you found my blog!),
and...
c. Giving my blog a shout out on YOUR blog!

Easy, right?!

Don't forget to do ALL 3 of those things (your name will be entered 3 times if you do!), and on Friday, I will announce the winner! (I will use this site to, so it will be completely random!) What am I giving away? Well...you're just going to have to wait and find out (but think SUMMER!)...

5!

My Max is 5 today!

Although neurotic and slightly crazy, he's still my main man and my best buddy! :) Today he's 5, and will definitely be receiving extra belly rubs and treats today!

Again I say, what would I do without this guy?

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras

coffee and a miracle!

Who doesn't love coffee? I know for a fact that I would be a complete monster without my cup every morning.

I want to talk to you a little about a dear friend of mine.

And coffee.

If you're a regular reader, you have seen pictures and read about my dear, life-long friend, Shannon. She's a school counselor at a school in the Nashville area, and recently founded an organization called the "G.I.R.L.S. (Girls in Real Life Situations) Ranch." This is a place where troubled girls can go if they're experiencing tough real-life situations. I began praying for Shannon when she first shared this vision with me, but I never imagined that it would take off the way it has. It amazes me and makes me so proud to think about the number of lives she's touching. If you take some time to read her blog, you'll find a number of ways to help this incredible organization.

Here's where the coffee comes in.

If you love coffee and would like to help this great cause at the same time, all you have to do is click here, buy a bag or 2 of yummy coffee and know that a portion of what you pay is going straight to the G.I.R.L.S. Ranch!

Easy, right?!

I even think coffee makes a great gift, so why not buy several bags and give them to your friends?!
(Don't like coffee? Click here to find out about other ways you can help!)

Also, if you have any questions about the G.I.R.L.S. Ranch or know anybody who may benefit from this organization, contact Shannon by clicking here or emailing her at info@girlsranchtn.org.

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MIRACLE

Hopefully by now you've been following the Krull's blog about their sweet Lucy. I've blogged about her several different times.

A couple of days ago, I asked you to read a post from Lucy's mom crying out for extra prayers for her sweet girl.

I was in tears this morning when I read what Kate (Lucy's mom) had to say this morning. While they still have a long way to go and probably more trials to face, God is absolutely listening to those prayers and the Krulls ARE receiving some answers.

Now--I dare anybody to tell me that there isn't a God!

Read Kate's most recent post titled "Miracles," and I bet, if you're an unbeliever, that post will have you believing!

God is so good.

Lucy...

Have you prayed for Lucy today? If not, please stop what you're doing and pray now. She needs them.

God bless her.

Moms!

Even though I'm not a mother, I know without a doubt that being a mother is the hardest job in the world (teaching is a close second though!), so I think it's so important that a day is made JUST for them!

I spent the weekend with my parents on the coast visiting H, T, and J to celebrate Mother's Day and Heather's birthday.

I was happy to spend the weekend with these to fabulous moms!I'm blessed to have my mom and I'm so proud of the mom my sister has become. That boy sure does love her!I think he loves his LaLa too!It was our first Mother's Day without Nana, so she was thought about and missed all day. I'm so blessed to still have one living grandparent and was so glad to get to see HER on Mother's Day too!
I hope all of you moms out there took a load off yesterday and allowed others do for YOU for a change!

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother." -Abraham Lincoln

Better late than never, right?

Here's Henry's baseball debut from last weekend!

I just love this.

Untitled from Laura Tomlinson on Vimeo.

28!

Well, I suppose that as long as I'm blogging, I'll continue to get birthday shout outs to all of those close to me! I've said before that I think that birthdays are a big deal and I like finding some way to make a person feel special on their day.
Today is my little sister Heather's 28th birthday!

I'm headed to the coast this weekend just to see Jones to help her celebrate!

Happy birthday to my pretty sister!

Who's YOUR favorite?

Season finale in 3 weeks!

Who's going to win?

James? Haley? Jacob? Lauren? Scotty?

I'm torn.Who do you think is going to win?

future BULLDOG!

So, my dad's bank hosted the MSU/Alabama tournament last weekend and Dad was asked to throw the first pitch at the game Sunday. My dad's response: "I'd be happy to walk to the mound, but I think I know a 4 year old who'd rather throw that first pitch."

And guess who that 4 year old was...To say that Henry was excited is a complete understatement! I'm pretty sure it was as close to heaven as he's ever experienced. He definitely thought he was something special. In fact, when walking into the game, he told the ticket-takers that he "didn't need a ticket because he was one of the players."

Precious.

(Oh, and of course they let him in. :) )

Here are some of the pictures from the afternoon. I'm going to try to get the video posted soon. It's fantastic.

The players were so sweet to him! After his "pitch," they all high-fived him and signed a baseball for him. He held on to that ball for the rest of the afternoon!

God Bless America...

Land that I Love.

A big hats off to every single person in our fabulous military.

Well done.

"We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail." -George W. Bush