On the lake

My boys are so cool! I love them bunches.

Such a Big Boy

Here are some pictures of my big boy taken by the weetest friend, KeithAnn Carter.

He is soooo big (I think it is the shoes) He would love to sit in the swing as it flies through the breeze, but, alas, Daddy will not leave it hung up.

Ephesians 1:11

In him we are also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who WORKS OUT EVERYTHING in conformity with the purpose of his will (which is always for good).

This is probably the most powerful verse I have ever heard. It immediately brought tears to my eyes because it speaks to the center of my biggest fear. IT WILL BE OKAY! no matter what, no matter when, no matter how big, no matter how bad, God will make it okay. There is nothing that I can do or that can happen to me that will be so bad he can't fix it, and that is AWESOME! whew, what a relief...

A WORDLE!!!

I created this using http://www.wordle.net/, and it was fun. I thought it was amazing the words that became more prominent.

A Golden Opportunity (To the Top!)

Today I ran into the teacher I had in college that is my all time favorite teacher ever. He is the reason I changed my major to English and ultimately became a teacher. And guess what...I told him that! A long time ago, I saw him in Mahogany bar one night and felt like I needed to tell him, but I lost the nerve. For years I have regretted not telling him and have thought fondly of his class. I try to have his attitude toward my kids, even going so far as to call my student's Mr. or Mrs. and their last name like he, so respectfully, would do in his class. I try really hard to make each of them think critically and I want them to feel smart when they do. One of my students told me yesterday, "Mrs. Giles, your class makes me feel smart!" It made me feel so good, and I remember Dr. Mayes's class making me feel like that. Anyway, I just wanted him to know. If it were me, I would want to know. My friend Lisa, who kind of held my hand as I walked up to tell him, said she was proud of me after I told him and said that while I was telling him my voice broke a little like I was gonna cry. You don't understand, I told her, he lit my fire! God puts certain people in your way that change your path, and Dr. Micheal Mayes was a huge roadblocks and sudden detour for me. I just wanted to say thanks and I am glad I got a second chance to do just that. It was definately cool!


*I hope he didn't think I am like a psycho stalker or anything (ha)*

New haircut (not mommy's idea)

Camping with the Baileys
Mowing the lawn is hard work...but someones gotta do it.
Splish-Splash Ty was taking a bath
Bryan's idea


Today Ty got a new haircut. We went to his Jenny's house, and I was prepared for a little trim. Ty's dad decided he wanted him to have a buzzcut, so he will be just like daddy. I would like to preface this with saying that Jenny did a FABULOUS job as always, and more than likely I will never take him to anyone else at least until I wear out my welcome with her weetness. HOWEVER, I was not ready for a buzzcut, and this sudden decision on the part of my husband was both shocking and aggravating. And well here he is with his new BIG BOY haircut.

Survey: Tag, you're it, Keith Ann, Andie, Kal

Here are the rules:A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz.

1. What music is on your iPod?Linkin Park, John Mayer, Selah, Jack Johnson, THE AMERICAN IDOL Jason Castro, Rihanna, Hanah Pestle, Jeff Buckley, Switchfoot

2. What do you do before bedtime?READ, Lately do Beth Moore Bible Study

3.What magazines do you have subscriptions to?Weight Watchers, American Baby, I buy Rachel Ray every month so I should get a sub.

4. What is your favorite scent? Cotton, very clean and sweet. Reminds me of my momma's house.

5. If you had a million dollars and could only spend it on yourself, what would you do with it?
Quit my job (although I really do love it, I would NOT work if I didn't have to) Travel constantly, and buy my own house in a GREAT neighborhood with sidewalks and kids for Ty to play with AND one by a river as well, of course car (64 1/2 baby blue mustang),and a Air Nautique for Bryan.


6. What is your theme song? Gone Switchfoot

7. Do you trust easily?NONONONONONO, I have real issues with trust. I know a lot of people say this, but mine is like a serious CAN'T. As in I am not sure I am physically capable of putting true faith in anyone or anything without having some sort of doubt. But I am working on it. It is my biggest problem.

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think? I think WAY tooo much about everything. Terrified of hurting anyone with my actions.

9.Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days? No, not really. Life is pretty good right now. Thanks, God!

10. Do you have a good body-image? Never have, prolly my second biggest problem.

11. Is being tagged fun?Yes, I love that people want to know about me, because I feel like I have a lot to say. Duh, anyone who knows me can tell you that.

12. What websites do you visit daily? My blog and my friends blogs (if they have written anything new). Myspace, Yahoo, PetalSchools.com, stepheniemeyer.com to read part of midnight sun

13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately? The Twilight Series. God. My Son. My friends.

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? Well, to be honest, she didn't really tag me. I found this survey on her website and copied it. I know, pathetic, right. But my Julia is incredibly talented (she is a published author and her book is doing wonderfully, she is strong willed, and we can pick up right where we left off no matter how long it has been. I love her!)

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head? Disturbia

16.What’s your favorite item of clothing? a good pair of jeans. or anything that makes me feel thinner.

17. Do you think Rice Crispies are yummy?EEEWWW no, the only appeal they have is that crackly noise they make that dies after a while at which point they become a soggy, slimy mess. And they have NNNOOO flavor.

18. What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground? I would turn it in to the closest place to the money. and I am not saying that to sound cheesy. I have the worst conscience and seriously wouldn't be able to live with myself. AND...I know this because I have before...and I did.

19. What items could you not go without during the day? Ty, Diet Coke, that is about it, Bryan (lol)

20. What should you be doing right now?Reading

Beth Moore Study Week 1: This is just a test of the emergency broadcast system

So, I am doing a Beth Moore Bible Study with Keith Ann and Jennifer. It is nice; kind of a way to think and stretch my analytical brain while cramming it with info that really matters. For a long time, two thoughts enter my mind at various times during the day. These thoughts are like a marquis scrolling occasionally across my brain. They are subtle, but always prefaced by a very low emergency management system type beeeeeeep inside my head. I understand that the imagery is getting a little ridiculous at this point, but I really want to give a clear picture of what my thoughts are like...I know, I know the suspense is killing you, right (prepare to be disappointed as I have really built this up at this point).

• Point #1: at some point I heard, maybe from a song or a sermon, someone say (vague, right) When I meet God, I don't want to have to explain that I had no time in the time he had given me to study his word.
• Point #2: This one is really cheesy: Tim Magraw (or however you spell it) sang a song Live Like You Were Dying, in which he sang, as he did things to really make the most of the time he had left, "I finally read the Good Book."
• Conclusion: As these phrases scroll through my head on their weekly test, God reminds me that I don't need to wait for a true emergency (which is what I am constantly on the lookout for anyway) to get what will help me now during my weekly EMS tests.

So anywho, this is my goal for the next 11 weeks, and I am open to whatever good will come out of it (and I KNOW it will, even if Bryan is pessimistic about it, maybe he will learn a little something too.)

"Without delay he called them (beeep) , and they left their fathers Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him."

The River Rats

Here is Ty and his friend Luke on the river. Like fathers like sons.