Sweet Memories

Me and My Sisters
On Tuesday I went to my mom's house and had a reunion. My sister Katie and her husband were there from Mississippi and my brother Jeb was back from North Georgia College. My cousins Megan and Nancy were back from U of Alabama and Ga Tech. So many people that I love so dearly were there, all under one roof, talking a mile a minute trying to catch up with one another. I sat and just simply delighted in being surrounded by so much love.

My sister Katie recently found out that her and Theo will be moving to Washington state near the Seattle area. Theo is a recent graduate from pilot training and will flying C-17's there. They will be in WA for three years. I grew up having an aunt and uncle in the Army and having to live far away places. Once a year we'd drive up to Myrtle Beach, SC and they'd drive down and we'd spend a week or two in paradise with my grandparents. One year we drove all the way to Michigan and another, all the way to New York to visit them. I can remember having so much fun and holding on to every moment knowing that once the trip was over, it might be a whole year until I got to see them again. I can't imagine how hard it was on my mom and my aunt having to be so far away from each other.

When I found out that Katie was moving to practically the farthest place away in the US you could get, all I could think of was, "There's no Myrtle Beach to meet them half way. How will I ever get to see her? What if she has her first baby and I can't be there?" So many selfish thoughts ran through my head.

And I heard God's sweet, calm voice say, "Do you trust me? Do you still believe I am in control of not just your life, but of hers as well? Did it happen by chance that they are going there? Was this the Air Force's doing...or Mine?" and my response to Him was, "Please promise me that You will let me go out there to visit and that You will take care of them (Don't you think He just laughs when we add conditions to our prayers?!) Protect Theo if and when he goes to fight in this war and give my sweet, sister a friend out there." I started right then and there praying for the friends they will meet, the house they will live in, the adventures they will go on. The world awaits them.

Then there is my other sister, Kelsey who is going away to college for the first time. She will be joining my brother Jeb at North Georgia on January 3rd. This is my sweet baby sister who loves to come over and read to Randol, she loves being the aunt that can quiet Will when he's crying or that Foster will run up too as soon as she walks into the door. She is the one who so graciously watches my children so my husband and I can have a date every once in a while. She spent the night at my house when Will had his tubes. We are 9 years apart, but I feel close to her, that age doesn't matter. This is the last of the Graydon girls to leave home. This will be hard on my mom. There is something special forged between women, we need each other. We are tied at the heart strings. It is a very special thing. I am so blessed to have the two sisters that I've got and to have such a wonderful relationship with my parents.

Me and my brother, Jeb
Now, moving on from my sisters, there's my brother Jeb. I have a feeling that him living four hours or so away at college may the closest he ever lives here. Being in the Army, he's hoping to be overseas and he's quite sure his feet will have to hit desert sand at some point. Jeb may be my younger brother, but he has always looked after me like an older brother would. He is so sweet and yet so manly all at once. (If that makes any sense!)

I look at my family and I can't help but wonder how different we'll all be in a year from now. Katie and her hubby will have been gone for 9 months, Kelsey will have been away at college for a whole year, Jeb will only have a semester left to graduate, Jackson (my youngest brother) will be in high school. I'll be watching my children grow older. Next Christmas, Will will be running all over the place, chasing his brother, and opening presents. In just a short year so many things will have changed.

This Christmas is extra special for me because for the next week or so, everyone will be home, tucked inside the house we all grew up in. I can't help but want to be over there visiting. I can't help but treasure every moment I have, sitting around the table playing cards or sipping coffee or watching movies together. The Lord has blessed me so much.

Me (pregnant!), Wesley's mom, Kim,
His sister Keri, and his brothers wife, Amanda

Looking at Wesley's family, its a totally different situation. All of his siblings live here within a 15 minute drive of one another. I always feared that my children would miss out on playing with cousins because I am so much older than my siblings...but the Lord answered my prayer in the form of Wesley's sister, Keri. Our children are very close in age and they play together all the time. While my family is scattering all over the place, Wesley's family is all joined right here in our home town. My sisters are all leaving, but Keri and Amanda are close enough to get together with once a week. I pray that our friendships will continue to grow. I am so blessed to have them.

Time changes things, nothing stays the same forever. We are always evolving, learning new things. One day I'll be looking back on the pictures I'll take tomorrow and think, "How could 20 years have passed so quickly?" Every day we are given, is a treasure, it truly is a gift to wake up every morning. Who knows what will happen in this next year, except God Himself? Remember that, when you start to get upset over your husband not taking out the trash, or your child not cleaning up their room. Remember that, when you look around your kitchen and see a huge mess or you look in your checkbook and see a small balance. Life is so much bigger than all of that stuff. Scoop up your loved ones, tell them how much you treasure and adore them. Never waste a minute to get to know them better. Store up your memories because when the moment is gone, the memories are all you will have left.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

~Proverbs 16:9

Wordless Wednesday:Will's 1st Christmas

Who Will You Listen Too?

The other day I was enjoying reading back and forth with Randol this cute little book, when much to my surprise the main character lied in plain black and white ink-I was shocked.

I digress, I recently found out that the 3rd book in every American Girl series is a Christmas story all about how the holiday's were celebrated in that time period. I figured that reading those books would be a fun way to do some research and see how our traditions have evolved over time. Randol LOVES anything American Girl, even though the only thing she owns by them, is their free magazine she gets in the mail periodically. The clouds parted and heaven shown down, as my boys both napped at the same time for the first time in like forever.

We were snuggled up on the couch reading this cute story about Kirsten and how her and her Daddy were stuck in a horrible snow storm that threatens their lives. (Real action packed you know). They start to think they are lost when Kirsten sees a big tree and realizes that the cave she sneaks off too, to see her secret Indian friend, is close by. After getting warm in the cave, her Father looks at her and says, "How did you know there was a cave here?" It then goes on to say that Kirsten didn't want to tell her dad about her secret Indian friend or how she sneaks away to play with Singing Bird without her parents knowing, so she tells her dad that she wandered off one day walking along the stream and that's how she found it. Her father then goes on to praise her for being a little explorer, but tells her not to wander off again. The chapter ends with her being rewarded with a piece of candy.

I looked at Randol and asked her what Kirsten did wrong. I was thankful to hear that Randol recognized that Kirsten lied to her father, but my head fell when she added, "But it was her secret friend, maybe her and the Indian promised each other they wouldn't tell anyone about their friendship." Then we had this long discussion about how a lie is a lie...blah, blah, blah. You know the conversation.

Later that night, I was telling Wesley about it to see what he thought. He handed me a section of our local newspaper. On the side column it was titled "Lying is American as apple pie". The small article was all about how lying is apart of our society and how everyone lies and its OK. These were two examples in one day that really opened both of our eyes to just how much satan has unsuspectingly dug his nasty head into society's way of thinking.

And we wonder why there are so many problems in our country! It really got me thinking about all the lies I have told in my life. I lied all the time to my parents when I was in high school (sorry mom and dad!) with a straight face and didn't blink an eye or think twice about it. It was those lies that got me into situations that I shouldn't have been in and left many long term consequences, some of which I still pay today. Something so small can turn into something so big. Isn't that how satan works though? He whispers these small things into our ears and we find ourselves agreeing with him. From the beginning of time he's worked this way, telling Eve, "You will surely not die!" (Gen. 3:3) and then goes on to tell her all the things she's missing out on by not eating from that one tree as she stands in a garden full of trees.

"It's OK, no one will ever find out!"
"Just one time won't hurt"
"Look at what she did, you're way better than her!" and makes us focus on others sins and not our own.

All of these little mind games he tells us, to try to reason our sin.
"You deserve to buy that new car" (even though you can't afford it.)
"It's OK to look, as long as you don't touch"-HA! How many affairs start by people "just looking"?
"Your husband will never know if you buy that! It's what you want, you deserve it!" (only now you will have to lie even more to cover up what you got).

On and on I could go...but what we tend to forget, is what man doesn't know-God does. We can't hide from Him or cover up anything. If we could, why would He have sent His son to die for all of those "little, petty sins"?

The REAL truth of the matter is that we WILL be held accountable on that day of judgement. A sin, is a sin in Gods eyes. He doesn't "classify" sin by saying one is greater than the other. One of the ten commandments clearly states, "Do not lie". It doesn't say, "It's OK to lie about this, but not about that". It says, "Do not lie"-plain and simple, clear as day. No questions asked.

As children, most of us had parents or grandparents or maybe a Sunday School teacher to teach us right from wrong. As a child, I knew when I got caught doing something wrong, my parents were going to punish me. As adults, who is there to hold us accountable? The law of course, but I don't see a policeman outside the doorstep of everyone who tells a lie. It would be impossible to have the manpower to keep up with such a job!

It is the Lord who holds us accountable through His Word and our conscience. The Holy Spirit whispers in your mind, "No, Back Away! Danger! It's not worth it!" That is the voice of God Himself who is telling you that. You have a choice, who are you going to listen too? Don't let satan take your heart captive over something so stupid and so selfish. It's just not worth it!

Stay in the Word, continue to seek His face and His guidance and let Him lead you. He will never trick you, never lead you astray or never let you down. Stay in His shadow and you will be blessed more than you can ever imagine.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with His feathers

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

~Psalm 91:1-4

Super Fun Christmas Craft

Keri, (Wesley's sister) and I made these fun scented ornaments with our children last week. I must admit, I was surprised by how good they turned out! I am going to put one in each of the box of goodies for my neighbors. They smell SO good (like cinnamon). Wesley kept asking if he could eat the cookies, because that's what they look like! It's a fun craft for all ages, my niece helped and she just turned 20 months and Randol made them and she's 8! Pull up your sleeves and get ready to have some fun!

Scented Ornaments

1 Cup of regular applesauce (not chunky variety)

1 1/2 Cups of ground cinnamon

1/3 Cup of glue

Assorted cookie cutters

drinking straw

Colored Ribbon

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together ingredients. Form mixture in a ball, wrap in plastic and cover for 30 minutes or so until "dough" stiffens.

2. Sprinkle more cinnamon on a cutting board or waxed paper and turn the dough onto it (we skipped this step and it was fine!) Roll the dough with a rolling pin about 1/4 in thickness (if its thinner than that the ornaments will be too fragile). You can coat the rolling pin with cinnamon if the dough sticks to it.

3. Cut out decorative shapes with assorted cookie cutters. Randol and I used a toothpick to write out "2007" on them. (just another idea!) Use a plastic straw to make a hole through the top center.

4. Let the ornaments air dry, laying on wax paper. It took about 48 hours for ours to dry.

5. Once they are completely dry, tie a ribbon through the hole!

A Week Of Pictures

Wed. Dec. 5th
Here is my sweet Will after having surgery to get tubes put in his ears. God was gracious to have it go so well. And no...I did not plan for his pacifier to color coordinate with his hospital gown!















Saturday, Dec. 8th:
Don't laugh...this too could be your child should you happen to take a shower while your husband dutifully watches your children while he plays his PlayStation! That would be my mascara and eye liner he has put on all over his eyes. I NEVER knew he watched me put on makeup, usually he is running around and will be in and out of the bathroom. Here is proof...your children ARE watching your every move even when you don't think they are!

Tuesday, Dec. 11th

So the plan when my sister-in-law came over was to take a picture of all five grandchildren for her mother. Things don't always turn out the way you imagine them in your head!

Here was out first attempt as they all played on Randol's bed in a made up tent...it didn't go so well so we moved them to the living room couch...

This was the best one....

You know me, I thought, "Just one more picture!"

They didn't think I was very funny!

So if you've been wondering why I haven't been writing as much as I usually do, I apologize! Life has just taken over....

Keeping It Real

This is the time of year for buying things for the ones you love, baking cookies and seeing the excitement in your children's eyes. It can also be a stressful time of year, where we get so caught up in our "to do list" that we forget to sit back and enjoy it. It only comes once a year. This year, I have simplified everything. Usually, I spend days putting up Christmas decorations and hours upon hours finding that perfect gift. I bake and bake and then swear I'll never bake again! I spend the season in such a rush, trying to make everything just perfect. Come December 25th, I am exhausted, worn out and can barely muster up the energy to take down all the decorations I worked so hard in putting up, or eat the last of my goodies and clean up after the mess that was left behind from just one day.

This year, my attitude has been much different. This year I'm slowing down, doing a little at a time and not beating myself up for the things that inevitably won't get done. This year there is no snow village to grace my living room or angels and nativity to greet you as you walk in my front door. There is a Christmas tree with blinking colored lights and that is it. I'm not stressing over Foster breaking something that is precious or already thinking about how many hours its going to take me to climb back up into the attic to put the village pieces away. I have been baking, but a little at a time, I'm dragging out the yummy smells of my homemade goodies! I have realized that Christmas isn't about something to do or places to go. It's not about spending an equal amount of money on your children or worrying that your brother-in-law might not like the couples gift you got for him and his wife. It's not about addressing Christmas cards or making it to the next big sale.

Christmas is a celebration, its meant to be a joyful time. God in the flesh coming to earth, to save our weary, blackened souls. It is about the One true gift which is more important than any of that. As I look at Will, who is only 6 months old, I can't help but wonder, what was Jesus like as a baby? Did He have dimples or a bald head? Did He keep his parents up at night with an ear ache? Did he smile when Joseph walked in the room from a long day at work? Did he like to suck on his tiny toes and clap his hands? He was but just a tiny baby, like my own little man.

Randol and I watched The Nativity Story on TV the other night. I was reminded that Mary was only a young girl and that an angel came to her and asked her to do the unexplainable, the unfathomable. It got me thinking about how her parents and their small, tight, knit community responded to such news. If you saw a girl who was engaged and all of a sudden she was pregnant saying it was God's child, what would you think? I'll be honest, I'd be like, "Yeah right! We aren't stupid!" No matter how nice a girl she was, it would be hard to believe. Mary could have been stoned to death for such a thing, but she told the angel, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38).

WOW! I think I might have been tempted to say, "Thanks, but no thanks! Go find someone else!" Then I realized, I have said that to God before. Have you ever had a "Mary Moment"? A time you can think of in your life where God called on you to do something that was out of this world? An idea so crazy, you start to wonder if maybe you made it up? Something that goes against the grain of the world, but matters so much to the Kingdom of Heaven. It may be holding someone accountable for their actions, correcting a close friend or member of your church. Sometimes it could be something small like starting a blog or taking a neighbor to church with you. To the world it looks like no big deal, but to you, its putting yourself on the line and taking a risk (and God knows it) and He asks you to take the adventure with Him and let Him be your guide.

In those moments we are given a choice, will we be like Mary and say, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said," or will we choose to say no and miss out on so many of God's blessings?

This holiday season I need to,(as my friend Victoria says),"Keep the main thing, the main thing". That main thing is Jesus and my constant willingness to follow Him, no matter where He leads me, even when I do not understand or want to go, I am still called to follow.

How many things I might have missed out on if I was still trying to live up to a "perfect Christmas" (because there is no such thing!). Snuggling with my son in the wee hours of the morning, watching the colored lights dance along the floor; making cookies with Randol and letting her lick the spoon, singing Christmas songs and dancing around the house with my children in our pj's. Memories that would be lost if I was still running around trying to do everything.

As you rush from here to there over the next two weeks, remember to stop and thank Him for His gift. It's not about what you wish you had or what you need to go do, its about the blessings He's already given you and what He did for you on that "O Holy Night". There is so much to celebrate!

Super Fast and Yummy Fudge!

This recipe is SO easy and SO yummy that I have already made it twice this holiday season (I'm ashamed to say just for my family. We lap it up too fast to share :-)

Microwave Fudge (Sounds weird I know, but it is SO good!)
1/2 C Cocoa Powder
16 oz. Powered Sugar
1/2 C Margarine
1/4 C Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 C Chopped nuts

Mix Cocoa and powdered sugar in a microwave pan. Slice margarine on top. Pour milk on top of mixture, but DO NOT MIX!!!
Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes at full power. (I usually do it for one minute, check it and then for one more minute).
Add vanilla and nuts; stir well.
Pour into a greased (DO NOT USE BUTTER, USE COOKING SPRAY) 8 x 2 in pan.
Chill one hour. Cut into squares.

Yes, it is that easy! In a matter of minutes you can have yummy fudge! I have found that using Bonnie Bell stick butter works best for some reason. And do NOT cover it when you microwave it. It makes it really mushy and it won't harden.

Hope you enjoy! I am all about super fast, yummy recipes and this is a definite winner!

A Tribute to My Man

Today, my Beloved turns the big 3-0! Not so old I know, we're still a bunch of youngins' but it is a birthday to commemorate! I decided that in his honor I'd share 31 fun facts (in very random order!) that you might not know about my hubby!

1. He has no sense of smell-never has. When he was a kid he thought it was all in his mind. He would stare at something and think "smell!" and thought that with his mind, he'd be able to smell it!

2. He loves mustard, black olives and mushrooms.

3. The Lord of The Rings is his favorite trilogy.

4. He loves science fiction books.


5. He'd play Axis and Allies everyday if he could.

6. When he was a child he used to put salt in his little brothers milk. His mother never knew and always made Philip drink it! To this day, Philip doesn't like milk!

7. He had his own tree on the playground in kindergarten. His teacher would say, "Wesley, go to your tree!" His teacher retired after that year and he's proud to say it might have been because of him!

8. He loves green, mint chocolate chip ice cream.

9. He was a lifeguard for many years at the Windsor Park Pool.

10. He loves pie, not cake. Every year for his birthday he spends days trying to decide on what kind of pie he wants me to make him-this year its a peanut butter pie.

11. He loves him some great Georgia football!

12. He loves good, 'ole southern food like collard greens, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes and country fried steak.

13. When he was a kid and got in trouble he would love it when his dad sent him to his room. It gave him a chance to sit and read by himself. His dad soon figured this out, so instead he started making Wesley sit on the couch and watch Nascar-to this day Wesley hates Nascar!

14. There are two things he WILL NOT EAT, chunky tomato's and marshmallows...not even Rice Crispy treats or Lucky Charms cereal!

15. He doesn't drink coffee, but drinks a cup of hot, green tea at least once a day.

16. Changing dirty diapers grosses him out more than anything else in this world!

17. One of his favorite things to do every week is prepare for the Sunday School lesson.

18. He spent countless hours learning about diamonds and searching for the perfect engagement ring for me. Once he finally got it, there was so much going on, he wasn't able to find that "perfect moment". Finally, after two weeks of it burning a hole in his pocket-he asked me to marry him on my parents front porch at 2 o'clock in the morning as I told him goodbye for the night!

19. He loves to play board games of all kinds.

20. His ultimate dream and plan for when he retires is to write.

21. He hopes to one day go to New Zealand, like many other Lord of the Rings lovers and see the beautiful countryside that was used in the setting of the movies.

22. He does not like to hunt, fish or fix things like most men do, but he loves a great book and to throw a baseball with his best friend Seth any day.

23. He doesn't like any type of grape flavored medicine.

24. When he was a kid, his mother had a whole bag of M&M's in the fridge. One morning, he snuck the bag and ate the whole thing. He got so sick that he won't eat M&M's to this day!

25. His favorite color is royal blue.

26. At the young age of five, he told his kindergarten teacher he was going to be a lawyer when he grew up!

27. He calls Randol his Tator Tot.

28. In his second year of college, him and a friend went to go see the Return of the Jedi in theatres on opening day. When the famous light saber fight scene started playing, him and his friend got up and re-enacted the scene with their own light sabers! Much to their enjoyment the theatre crowd cheered them on!

29. He graduated Sum a Cum Laud from Mercer University for his undergraduate degree in History and Political Science.

30. He had always planned on going to the University of Georgia. He was accepted in high school, then decided to go to Andrew College for two years. He was accepted to UGA again, only he thought he wouldn't want to spend five years in one town. He figured he'd go to Mercer for the last two years of undergrad and then go to UGA for law school...only they didn't accept him a third time and he ended up spending five years in Macon, GA at Mercer! Life is ironic sometimes isn't it?