Okay...so today had a few rough spots. But, I loved it. I almost had a panic attack over lesson plans. But, I loved it. I'm not ready for Open House tomorrow yet! But, I loved the day. Today was disappointing. But, I loved it. I have had a lot on my mind lately. But I loved today!

I loved it because I had one of those moments. You know the kind. A moment in my car when I felt like God was holding me. I love those moments! While driving over the Reservoir today, I was reminded that God has been there. He knows the pain. He's been there. He knows it's hard. He keeps telling us to not be afraid. If I would just call out His name, He'll come running to me! I just need to hold on. When I feel like the current is pulling me under, I can just hold out my hand and hold on. He will be fighting for me until the storm is over. He gives us hope and faith. When it's dark, He lights the way. He is here by my side until I'm tall again. I just have to hold on! My favorite part of this, besides the obvious fact that He is holding on to me, is that He will be fighting until this storm is over and until I'm tall again. It WILL be over and I will feel tall again. Just hold on!

Sunday, our pastor made a statement that I loved. There is so much busyness this time of year. Much chaos and even some disappointment. We get so busy doing things that we sometimes neglect or forget that He is holding us, and we begin to go under. Chip pointed out that we simply just need to REST! Christianity is not about "DO." Christianity is about "DONE." REST in the assurance of what Christ has DONE for us!

REST in His arms and just "Hold On." Listen to the song and see how it speaks to you.

Now this is only part of the story. As I was listening to this song, I was turning a curve when I saw it. A beautiful rainbow. So, I did what any normal person driving on a two-lane road near a lake would do. I took a picture through my windshield. It's like a visual reminder that this storm WILL be OVER! Just hold on! He will make this storm into something beautiful.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

...and then I looked up.

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

So, I'm holding on! What a day!

Show Us Your Life - Wedding Reception and Honeymoon

It's that time again. Time for Kelly Korner's Show Us Your Life. This week is all about wedding receptions and honeymoons! Woo hoo! I had an absolute dream reception and honeymoon, and I cannot wait to share them both with you.

First of all, I must tell you how blessed we were to have SO many friends and our church family help put together a reception that was beyond what I had envisioned! I could never thank those people enough, and I could never name them all here because there were so many. But, you know who you are! Thank you!

A family friend made the gorgeous bride's cake as well as catered ALL the other food at our reception. Let me just tell you that one of the most common comments about our wedding was how fabulous the food was. Carla did an amazing job, and I trusted her with ALL of it!

The Bride's Cake
I brought a picture from a magazine of the cake I wanted, and Carla made it even more beautiful! I LOVED it!

The Groom's Cake

Russ's aunt made this awesome groom's cake. His mom brought the candy that was spilling out of a nice bucket beside the statue of bully. We had more people ask us where we got the CHOCOLATE bulldog! It is not edible, and we borrowed it from a church member. I thought that was so funny! Go dawgs!

My sister feeding the groom his cake!

One tradition our photographer has is having the maid of honor feed the groom his cake. I didn't realize that - which is why I was standing there so lonely! Ha! I immediately called my brother over to feed me!! We got a picture of that too!

The Father of the Bride Cake

Because we were married on our parents' anniversary, my mom planned an anniversary surprise for my dad. There is a story behind the "cake." Long story short...he ADORES croquembouche. This is a French dessert made from pastries filled with creme! A good family friend drove all the way to Memphis to pick this up for us. She ended up riding in the back of their SUV holding on for every bump and turn so the "cake" didn't mess up! Thank you so much Stocktons! There were also Father of the Bride business cards that were hilarious!

I don't have too many pictures of the food, but I think these show just how fabulous the food was! And, Carla made sure she fixed us up a lovely basket with samples of most everything! Yummy!!!

Although the food was delicious, the most important part of our reception was the visiting we were able to do with our friends and family! I only wish I had pictures of everyone that was there! It was so much fun! We had an awesome band made up of a few church members. They played songs by James Taylor, Jimmy Buffet, and the like. Ahhh...I wish I could do it all again! We had so much fun!

Kelly , Jennifer, me, Rachael, and Jamie

Close college friends - Rachael, Jimbo, Jennifer, Jaysen, Aaron, Kelly, Adam, Becca, Whitney Anne, Judson, Marcee, Kendall, and Matt

Russ and I rode away in a precious horse-drawn carriage. My sister made the going away sign for us. Isn't it cute!? Big Dan was our horse's name, and this was his first carriage ride. So - needless to say - it was interesting. Russ's parents live downtown, so we just rode to their house. Oh - and YES, I still have my dress on! It looks like we started the honeymoon early! Ha!

I hope you enjoyed our reception! Now, what happened next was....

Russ and I drove to Starkville the night of the wedding and stayed at Hotel Chester on Main Street. We left early Sunday morning for New Orleans where we boarded our cruise ship headed to the Western Carribbean. So much fun! And it was incredibly relaxing after the chaos of wedding planning.

Inside our room - notice our food from the reception already out on the table!

When we got to our room, our luggage was already sitting outside the door! Talk about room service! We immediately headed to an open area to watch as we set sail for the Carribbean!

Russ on our balcony

Taking a break from the sun on the balcony

We were scheduled to make three stops: Cozumel, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman. We weren't able to stop in Grand Cayman because of a hurricane in that area. And boy did we feel those waves when we were traveling around it! Russ actually spent the last day and half of our honeymoon over a toilet! Fun fun!

Near the port in Cozumel

Russ on Passion Island in Cozumel

Nights on the ship were wonderful! The boat was lit so beautifully, and we could walk around or just sit and visit with nothing but the waves all around us! The boat is so big that you don't even realize you are actually RIDING on the waves!

Me during a walk around the ship

One of the many great experiences was our sit down dinners. We were seated at a table full of honeymooners. We were all married on June 4. Many days on the ship, we would spend time visiting with them as we saw them around. One day we all headed down to an art auction just to see the ridiculous amounts of money bid on certain items! They were all very nice, and we keep in touch with most still. We exchanged addresses on the boat, and we exchange Christmas cards with them each year. One couple actually lives in Canton.

Russ and I at one of the sit-down dinners

All the girls

The guys

What did you do for your honeymoon? What was your reception like? I would love to read about it! Just link up to Kelly's Korner and tell us all about it!

New Bloggers!

I'm FINALLY welcoming two friends to the blogging world. After months of making fun of me taking pictures of every event so I can "put it on the blog," they have decided to join!

First, we welcome Jimbo and Rachael. You have seen them on the blog before, so they are no strangers here! Ha! Rachael and I met in college. We were both Chi O's at State, and we were part of the self-proclaimed "other possy." Don't ask! I'm sure her blog will be nothing short of entertaining! Jimbo and Russ actually met at Northeast. And, how convenient that these two friends married each other! We always love hanging out with them, and we HOPE they will still be in Memphis when we get there!

Next, I introduce Travis and Lindsey. Lindsey was also a Chi O at State with us, and now lives just down the road (basically) from us. She is a teacher, and they just got married this summer. I can't wait to hear about thier first year of marriage as Travis begins law school!

Hop on over to these blogs and give them some lovin'! So glad you all decided to join the fun!

Oh Dear!

One of our "souvenirs" Russ brought back from Corinth is P90X. And so it has begun! Russ is currently in our living room stripped down to boxers with the ceiling fan on, dumbells in hand, and chair ready. It sounds, feels, and SMELLS like a gym in here! What am I doing to stay fit? Well, I'm watching out of the corner of my eye, trying not to laugh, and hoping the workout will transfer over to my body through the airwaves because there is NO WAY I would be able to make it through one of those videos!

But, I'm fully expecting Russ to enter the next body building contest! Ha ha! What do you think? Have you ever tried this? Is it something I should pursue? Or should I just stick to trying to run?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

It's a lazy, rainy Saturday here in Corinth. After breakfast, a haircut, and lunch at Beef O'Brady's with Jeff and the boys Grace and I had a "girls' day." Well...Russ was a big participant too! After we performed numerous cheers, chants, and dances from little cheerleading camp, I fixed up Grace's hair for some "glamour shots." Russ pulled out his nice camera and the big screen to look like a professional studio! I think Grace enjoyed it immensely!

Doesn't she look glamourous!

I just couldn't help myself! I had to join in! Maybe I was feeling frisky with my new do - even though I pulled it up before the pictures!

Aunt Megan and Gracie girl

Grace chose this pose

Just love her!

Silly girls!

We have had a fun and relaxing time so far. Russ is enjoying his first full weekend off, and I am obsessed with the fabulous food his mom has been cooking. I'll just tell you that Friday night we had peas, squash, cabbage, cornbread, and roasted chicken! All was freshly shelled and cooked! Mmmm!

Show Us Your Life - Wedding Party and Flowers

Once again, it's time for Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life. Today is all about our wedding party and flowers. I still don't have any professional digital pictures from our wedding, and I had trouble scanning pictures this time. So I ended up taking pictures of my pictures. Please excuse the quality! Ha!

Probably the most essential part of our wedding - the bride and groom!

Russ and I were married on June 4, 2005. This is a very special date because both our parents were married on June 4! We had MANY special moments in our wedding. The ceremony began with a beautiful version of "Amazing Grace" as a dear family friend signed the words. I absolutely love to watch Melinda sign in church. It is such a worshipful experience. Our grandparents and mothers were seated to "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Next, the honorary bridesmaids and ushers came in to "Great is Thy Faithfulness" played by family friends on piano and harp. Our wedding party entered to "Canon in D." We also had several children in our wedding, and they entered to "Jesus Loves Me." I walked down the aisle to "Trumpet Voluntary," and the entire congregation sang "Holy, Holy, Holy" before we exchanged our vows. It was such a moving ceremony. Of course I would say that! One of my favorite songs sung at our wedding was "When God Made You." I would not change one thing about our wedding. And, to top off the special moments, my dad - who is a pastor at my home church - married us. How many people can say that?

Me and Daddy before he walked me down the aisle

Of course, our wedding party would not be complete without showing you our families on that day.

I had 10 bridesmaids - one of those was a junior bridesmaid. Each of these girls holds such a special place in my heart and I could not imagine getting married without each one of them by our sides. Kristin, my sister, was my maid of honor. Kelly and Nikki were college roommates, and we can still pick up right where we left off! I love these girls! Rachael and Jeannie were also college friends. Kelly, Rachael, Jeannie, and I were all Chi O's together at State. Lauren and Sarah Elizabeth are special childhood friends. Clancy, my cousin, and my new sister-in-law, Jenny, also stood alongside Russ and I as we wed. Olivia served as our junior bridesmaid. I loved the bridesmaids' dresses, and I found them for a great deal at Low's! They were black strapless two-piece dresses that gathered on one side detailed with two rhinestone buttons.

Bridesmaids' bouquet

I didn't see the bridesmaids' flowers until the wedding day, and I could not have been more pleased! I trusted our friends at Sanctuary to put together something beautiful, and they went above and beyond what I had envisioned.


I also had honorary bridesmaids that I wanted to be part of the ceremony. Mary Elizabeth, Season, Lynley, and Prentiss are childhood friends. We have had some fun times and gotten in trouble many times together through the years! Marcee and Jennifer are college friends. Jennifer was my college roommate for the last couple of years I was at State. These girls chose a black dress of their choice. They each carried a single Calla Lilly. Aren't these girls gorgeous!?

Another sentimental part of our wedding was our Presenter of the Bells. My mom and a dear family friend created this bell cross. I carried a bell cross in a very special wedding, and I wanted to include this into ours. The bell cross is a symbol of our inviting God to be a part of our wedding. How special! And, we had a very special person carry our bell cross down the aisle as we listened to nothing but the jingle of the bells. Julie did a wonderful job, and she looked precious!

And, yes, we had men in the wedding! Most of our wedding party were members of our families! Ha! Russ has a large family in itself! Russ's dad served as Best Man. His groomsmen included his brother, Jimmy, and my brother, Dustin. Russ's brother-in-law, Jeff, and his two sons, Will and Seth, also served as groomsmen. Russ also chose his cousin, Nathan, to be a part of our special day. College friends, Jimbo and Adam, stood alongside Russ as he married me! And, a childhood friend and later college roommate, Eli, served as well. Our ushers (standing) were special friends to me who I wanted to include. Lee is my sister's fiance, and has become a great friend to Russ and I. A.J., Daniel, and Jason were our college "downstairs roommates." We really didn't room with boys, but they lived right below our apartment. We cooked for each other, they took care of us girls, and we became good friends. Aaron also served as an usher. He is married to Kelly, and through her (I suppose) became a special friend. We were very honored to have these guys with us on such a special day!

The children in our wedding were so precious! The flower girl, Bennett, and Julie both wore an adorable floral headpiece. The bible bearer, Barron, and ring bearer, Clay, wore cute tuxes! They all did wonderfully! Although they look so grown now! This is also probably one of the best pictures of my bouquet, pink and white peonies. I knew I wanted to carry those from the first day we were engaged! Beautiful!

Mr. and Mrs. Russ Johnson

I would love to hear more about your wedding too! So, click over to Kelly's Korner and link up! You can also see more of my wedding dress here.

One of Those Days

So yesterday I just had one of those days. You know the kind. I woke up early to the sound of my phone ringing over and over and over and over and over again by some random fax number that calls repeatedly every day for a certain amount of time...a number that I canNOT get to stop calling! After such an abrupt wake-up call, I continued my crummy day. I mean really bad! Thank goodness I was at Felicia's when most of my day transpired so I had supervision! When I came home around 7 that night, I entered to the smell and sight of a total of three - yes, THREE - spots where Farley felt the urge to urinate in my kitchen. Then I saw it. He must have decided that leaving a little poop would be a cherry on top for his weary mother! I simply put my head down on the counter, and he knew. He was hovered under a chair in the kitchen so that he could not be reached and thrown across the kitchen. I cleaned it up. Wanting nothing but to lay on the couch and rest, I walked into the living room. No rest for the weary! I looked atop my mantle to find this:


You see, we just had a new roof put on our house because of a leak. Well, it looks as if the leak is back! I know you are wondering about the color! Apparently, the best we can tell, the water dripped from the ceiling landing on my burgandy silk flower in a vase and continued to trickle (now colored) to the lovely, white mantle...leaving a stain that even Sol-U-Mel couldn't get rid of completely! BTW...Sol-U-Mel gets ANYTHING out including grease and years of nail polish off carpet. But not this. It was just a terrible day, and I'm sorry that I can't even tell you all that transpired or you might feel sorry for me! Ha! But, just trust me.

Now, I've been trying pretty hard to cause my hubby the least amount of stress possible this past month. I mean - now you may want to be seated for this part - I have had supper ready pretty much the minute he walked in the door from work almost every night. We enjoy each other's company for the hour we see each other. Then, he takes his exhausted self to bed by 9:00. The bed is always made these days so he can get into a "fresh" bed each night. I told you that you needed to be seated for all that! Ha! But last night I did none of those things.

Russ knew some of what my day entailed because I had to get his advice at one point. And my sweet hubby came home with a surprise for me!


Yep. He stopped by Blockbuster and rented a 3-D movie for me! He's the best! When I was watching the View one day last week or so, Teri Hatcher was a guest, and she was promoting this movie she was in, Coraline. We did start it. But, we were too tired to finish it. So, I don't know if it's any good. Maybe I'll watch it tonight and let you know. Anyway, Russ and I were in Walmart this past weekend, and I asked to buy it. I'm so frivolous like that! I just buy things before I see them instead of renting them. Ha! He, of course, said no. I really never thought another thing about it until he brought it home! Although my day was still bad, he made me smile!


Just one word of advice, it's very awkward trying to watch a 3-D movie in your home wearing cardboard 3-D glasses! We laughed at ourselves more than watched the movie. Or at least the little part we had on before going to bed.

So I suppose my day wasn't ALL bad. Thanks to Russ who put all his stress on hold to make me feel a little better! Thanks babe!