Day 19: Gigi Locke

You all know that I write my blog each day based on someone who came to mind that day. Today, for some reason, my beautiful cousin Gigi kept coming to mind. This is an especially difficult entry because Gigi passed away in October of 2009.

Gigi was a lot of things to a lot of people. She was a wife, a daughter, a mother, a sister, a granddaughter, a cousin, a niece, a friend, as well as so many others. She was, and still is one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. Gigi was so incredibly kind. Her heart was so big and so fun. She loved to make a party out of every occasion. And trust me, her parties were fabulous!

Gigi had amazing style. She always had the cutest clothes and she was a great shopper! She was always telling me where to find great deals. Her home was beautifully decorated. It felt so customized, in the sense that you could walk in the front door and tell that the Locke family lived there. You always felt so at home and so cozy. I loved going to the Locke house and I still do.

Gigi had an amazing faith. Her faith was so strong despite her sickness. Through her life she claimed the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". She clung to this verse and proclaimed it constantly. Our family holds a song by Casting Crowns near to our hearts. It's called "Praise You in this Storm" and it was the song playing on the radio in the car after Gigi was diagnosed with cancer. It is a beautiful song with poignant lyrics, and the entire Locke and Markham family lived out the message. God was praised in the midst of such a tragic storm.

I have so many fond memories of Gigi. She was around 17 years older than me and lived in Georgia when I lived in Arkansas, so I rarely got to see her when I was young. But, when she came to Arkansas I was always so excited to see her. She was one of my "cool, older cousins"! When we moved to Georgia a few years later it was so nice to get to know her and her family better. I always loved hanging out with the Lockes. Gigi and Patrick's kids are awesome. They are so much fun to hang out with and are all so strong! I love them all so much and wish I lived closer so I could see them more often.

One of the most influential things I have ever heard from someone came from Gigi. A few weeks before she passed away she said the following about God's Grace and Patrick recorded it:

Through all of this, what God has really laid on my heart the most, has been God’s grace.  I thought I had a good head knowledge of what grace is in our lives…but I didn’t have a full heart’s knowledge of what God’s grace is.  He has shown me that his grace is fully sufficient for me at the point of my need.  Not before it, not after it, but right there at the point of my need.

 I have watched Lifetime movies, movies at the theater, Hallmark movies, and thought how could someone live through that….  How could I walk into a bedroom and think your child is gone, how could you be at home and get a call that you spouse has been in an accident and is not sure he is going to make it, how can they get through this traumatic event…

Through this, “I have come to understand I didn’t need the grace to understand that in those movies.  That was not God’s will in my life.  Maybe in my life, I could use it later down the road. Maybe it would be used to walk alongside some going through some thing like this.  I could have joy, peace and understanding for that person, I could use what I know to pray for them or love them through it.  That is part of being ministers to each other.  But at that point for them, I didn’t need that grace.  But when I needed God’s grace, it was there. God’s grace was directly equivalent with the need that I had at that moment.  It was there whole-heartedly, fully and completely there for me... 

He has shown me a different way of looking at his grace.  It was just not just a ball of good feelings, and understanding that we get enveloped in.  That it is a true servant’s heart that says “God, I just want to glorify you, what ever comes of this, may you have the glory”.  It is a very different aspect of grace that I never fully understood before this.

As I talk with people, I try to share that.  I don’t want people to walk away from what we are dealing with and think, “Wow , they are really spiritual, or how can they deal with this, and home school ,and with four children.  I can tell you it is not me, it is not Patrick, it is God.  It is all God’s grace.  

All we want is for God to be gloried through this, and we want this to be used, what ever the outcome, whether what we were told a few days ago of what man and medicine thought the time that we had left,  or if it is longer or God miraculously heals me of this, that is the glory that we leave.

We pray that that God’s glory be shown and how God’s grace has been fully sufficient for us and has been real for us in this time of need.

I think that is such a beautiful testimony to God's Grace and His Glory. I loved Gigi very much. I think of her often. I don't understand God's will, but I have faith in it. I know that her testimony has affected people. It has affected me. I hope that it affects you. 

Even though Gigi is not present on this earth, her presence is so evident. You can see and hear her in the faces and voices of her children. Her legacy is alive and well. I am so thankful that she knew the Lord and that she is healed and living in Heaven with the Savior of the entire universe. What a peaceful feeling. Praise God for the Hope that comes from Him. I am so thankful for Gigi and the beautiful life that she lived. 

-MB 

Day 18: Meg Lang

I was watching an old SNL sketch today featuring Mary Catherine Gallagher and I could not help but think of the fabulous Meg Lang. Oh how I miss this girl.

Let me start off by telling the story of Meg & Mary Beth:

I met meg in our Acting I freshman class. Meg was a sweet, beautiful, talented gal. Quite frankly, she intimidated the crap-ola out of me. She had a relationship with the Lord and a faith that I did not have the maturity to understand at that point (thankfully I get it now). I was also pretty convinced that she liked Drew and vice-versa.

Our friendship only began though in Disney World. Drew had 3 free tickets to the mouse's house and invited Meg, Shick, and Me to go....or rather we begged him to take us. Shick and I did not want to go with Meg. I was terrified that Shick was going to beat up Meg. Seriously. The animosity in the beginning was not a pretty thing...However, once in the parks we put our differences aside and began what became a beautiful 3-way friendship! Ever since then we have been inseparable (minus the current miles that separate all of us). I love both of these girls like sisters.

Here are some of my favorite memories:

The Dress Up Box- In our sophomore dorm room we had a community dress box that Meg and I (all of us really) really liked playing in. We would dress up in the most ridiculous costumes and just sit around talking in weird accents making each other laugh until it hurt or someone had to rush to the restroom! It was a glorious thing.

Big @$$ Snails- One day Meg and I were walking home from a rehearsal and I saw a HUGE snail on the wall. I looked at the snail and very calmly stated that it was a "big @$$" snail". Meg nearly wet her pants. Since then, every thing has been "big @$$" and we make a donkey pun whenever we can. As a matter of fact I have made it a personal challenge to send Meg every card I see with a donkey joke on it. 

I Love Lucy- Meg and I both share an affinity for Lucille Ball. When we lived in Johnson we used to fold laundry and watch I Love Lucy and laugh and laugh. We vowed to put together our children's cribs someday together while watching I Love Lucy. I so hope we live close enough to do this someday. 

Birthday- One time Meg told some random 65 year old man named Hank Shaw on facebook Happy Birthday thinking that it was my brother. She then followed it with "You look so old my friend!" again, thinking it was my 18 year old brother. I have no idea how this confusion happened, but I have not laughed this hard in a really, really long time. 

Chicago- Meg has a beautiful family and a lovely home just outside of Chi-town. We took an aMaZiNg college trip up to her house just before Christmas a few years ago. It was awesome! We got to explore the city, go sledding, watch Christmas movies, and just hang out! Her siblings and parents were incredibly gracious hosts and it is a trip I will never forget!

Moving Night- One of my fondest, yet saddest nights with Meg was the night before she left Palm Beach to transfer schools. Shick, Meg and I stayed up all night until Meg's dad picked her up at 7am. We laughed, we cried, we took pictures, we relived memories, and we loved every moment of it. I know that is a memory that will always remain close to all of our hearts. 

Stalking- I like to stalk Meg. I like to draw pictures of me stalking her, make dolls of her out of Pringle Cans and then smash them, hide in Meg's bed and scare her, etc. It is a guilty pleasure and I love it. I think she has finally accepted that it is a love language of mine, and nothing really to fear! 

Meg,

Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me. You are gorgeous inside and out! You are one of the funniest people I know and I LOVE knowing you! You have taught me so much about the Lord and I can never thank you enough for that! It is so nice to have a soul sister! We will always be close no matter how far apart we live from each other. I miss you so much! I am so excited to see what will come for you in the future! You are in my prayers always! I love you Meggie. 

MB 

This is a picture from Meg's Last night in Palm Beach....

This is a picture from the Disney Trip that made us friends!

This is an example of our @$$ jokes...from meg, to me! 

Day 17: Renee Long

Things that describe Renee:

-Great friend
-Intelligent
-Quirky
-Kind-hearted
-Artistic
-Creative
-Excellent writer
-Funny
-Slightly Clumsy
-Deep Souled
-Dramatic
-Supportive
-Reliable
-Beautiful
-A mean violinist

Renee and I also met as freshman theatre majors. We also lived just down the hall from each other in our freshman dorm. I loved getting to know Renee throughout college. I watched her grow and change into a remarkable woman.

Renee is a great friend. She was there for me when tragedy struck my family. I remember many days when she would sit next to me, stroking my back while I sobbed into a pillow. She was always so thoughtful to ask me how I was doing. One of my favorite memories with her was when we were doing a scene together in Acting 1 and we went to Wal-mart to improv our mother-daughter roles. It was around Christmas time and Renee yelled in her character voice "look ma! It's Sainty Claus!". I immediately broke character and spewed out laughter. I still think of that every Christmas. Cracks me up every time!

Renee also hosted an amazing lingerie shower for me at her family's beach condo. That was probably my favorite memory from college. Almost all of my closest girlfriends were in attendance (minus a few who lived too far away) and we had a BLAST! We had mexican food for dinner, margaritas, cake and sweets for dessert, played lots of fun games, opened presents, laid out by the pool and the beach all day, stayed up way too late, slept 3-4 girls to a bed (slumber party style), slept in, ate a delightful breakfast with mimosas, went to the pool again, then watched a movie. It was the most fun, most relaxing, mini-vacation/shower I have ever had. I am so grateful to Renee for hosting the party. What wonderful memories.

Renee is a gifted violinist. She played in our wedding and did a terrific job. It meant so much to me to have her talent displayed in our ceremony. When we lived together I used to beg her to play the violin for me. I loved listening to her practice!

Renee,

You are a beautiful friend to me. Our relationship is so wonderful. I miss living with you or even close to you for that matter. You are such a kind person and I value you! I have loved watching your faith grow over the past years. The day you were baptized was an incredible day and I was so honored to be there to share it with you. I love our fun memories and even the sad ones we have experienced together. It is a blessing to be your friend. Hope to see you and catch up with you soon!

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 16: Christy Lawler

"Jump on it....jump on it" were the words, or rather the lyrics that reminded me of Miss Lawler today. These were lyrics to a song we used to do the dance square to at Belle Glade, but more on that later.

Christy is by far one of the most interesting people on the face of the planet. No lie. She is all of these things:

Creative
Zaney
Emotional
Funny
Tenderhearted
Caring
Thoughtful
Sweet
Ghetto
Intelligent
Hard worker
Disciple
Selfless

Christy and I got to know each other by being theatre majors in college (or at least that is what we started out majoring in). At first I really did not think I was going to like her. She is a "director" by nature and so am I. In other words, we both tend to be a little bit on the bossy side! :) Hey! I like to think of us as both being extremely passionate and unwilling to settle. That is true and it sounds better than bossy, yes?

Anyway, once we got past our directorial conflicts, we discovered a great friendship. We have had so many wonderful memories together! We had an awesome road trip to Georgia together, lots of late night projects, dancing on the desks to "Pour some sugar on me" while working on scenographic technique work, beach dates, Belle Mondays, Chipmunk/ghetto voices on an old school recorder, ghetto dancing, and several memories surrounding my recent wedding. I love playing with Christy. We like to have these amazingly deep, emotional, heart conversations while still having a blast.

Belle Glade was a life-changing experience that Christy introduced me to. Some of my fondest memories from college come from hanging out with the kids and leaders there. I was incredibly blessed by that experience.

I miss this girl. I miss our ghetto-ness. I miss being goofy. I miss crying on each other's shoulders! I think Christy needs to make a trip out to Carbondale!!! (Yes??)

Christy,

Thank you for your friendship to me all these years. Thank you for your sincere concern for my life and willingness to be there for me when I needed you. I think you have one of the biggest, most selfless hearts around. You are so creative, not only in your artistic ability, but also in you ability to see "world" problems and form solutions for them. I admire your passion for the Lord and your celebration for all of His work in people's lives. I think your beauty surpasses all worldly standards. I hate being so far away from all of my friends! I want to see you so very soon. Thank you for all you have shown to me, taught me, and reminded me. I love you girly!!

-Murry Beth


Oh, and congratulations on being the only person on the face of the planet who can out creep me. Seriously, that's a big deal.

Day 15: Leah Kiemel

Leah Kiemel is a snow beast. I have decided this after my first few weeks encountering the cold up here in Illinois. Yesterday when Drew and I got to our car at the airport in St. Louis it had snow and ice on it. This was shocking to me coming from 80 degree weather in Florida. I was freezing my tookus off and it was only 29 degrees. Now, mind you, 29 degrees is really cold. However it is not as cold as Colorado, which is where my dear friend Leah resides. So in thinking about how cold I was yesterday, I began thinking about how cold I bet Leah was...thus led to Leah being today's blog subject.

Leah and I met during our freshman year of college. She lived just down the hall from Megan/Shick and me. She is one of the prettiest girls I have ever met. Seriously, blonde hair, blue eyes, tall---GORGEOUS. (Sometimes it is hard to even be friends with her because of how beautiful she is!).

Leah is not only stunning, but she is a kind, sweet, tender friend with a world of compassion, and she loves to have fun. She is so laid back and is always down for whatever. When we lived together our sophomore year I remember always taking trips to Target and Chick-Fil-A together. We would just chat, listen to music, tell funny stories, etc. That same year she and Shick came home with me for Thanksgiving. I had such a blast with those girls. That was one of my favorite Thanksgivings. "Now go back and tell all your friends that there was ice on the railroad tracks". HA HA HA.

Leah has lots of talents. She takes amazing photographs, she can play the piano, she creates pretty sweet yearbooks, and she is really athletic. She is also incredibly thoughtful and always sends me the cutest postcards or little care packages. I miss her so much!

She was a great, great help at our wedding. Thanks to her (and some other great pals) I was saved from "program misprint" embarrassment. Leah spotted the errors, reported them to someone besides me (thank goodness...I was a bit stressed out), and got them all reprinted before the wedding. Thank you Leah! Seriously. I did not even know any of this had happened until I got back from my honeymoon. It was great!

Leah-

I miss you so, so, so much. Drew and I really want to come to Colorado again soon and attempt skiing (I say attempt because you know how athletic we are)! Hopefully we can do that sooner rather than later. I always have so much fun with you! You are a gem of a friend and have such a kind heart. You are a joy to be around. I miss your presence. It was always so calming. You are beautiful inside and out and I am a better person having known you and I have been eternally blessed by our friendship. I miss you Leah! Come to Carbondale!

This is us in West Palm Beach doing the typical Leah picture request: Jumping in the air! 

Day 14: Spencer Darr

This blog is brought to you by Go-Go In Flight Free Wi-Fi by Airtran. It is pretty cool that I am 37,000 feet in the air writing my blog. Seriously! Spencer you are probably the only one on my blog who will be written about in the air. Just sayin'....maybe you should feel a bit honored??  :)

Spencer Darr is another one of my brother-in-laws. He is 21 and a student at FSU which is pretty awesome. There are so many things to say about Spencer, especially after just spending the past few days with him.

Here are a few of my favorite things about Spencer:

1. He is a nice guy. Plain and simple, he is just super nice. He always offers to help me with my bags, holds open doors, lets women go first, etc. He is a gentleman and I think that is AWESOME.

2. He is a free thinker. He does not believe anything just because someone told him to. He investigates ideas and thinks them over before he jumps on any bandwagon. That is pretty cool.

3. Spencer is surprisingly deep. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. I simply mean that he is athletic and cares about more than just sports. He loves books. That is often a rare combination.

4. He has a great sense of humor. Drew and I love hanging out with him because he is downright funny. He always has an intelligent witty line to say.

5. Spencer is really compassionate. He cares about other people and definitely puts their needs before his own. Not many people truly do that. He does. Spencer will be an incredible father someday. He will be a great uncle to our kids (a long, long, long, long, long time from now. No one get any ideas, k?).

Spencer- I have loved getting to know you over the past few years. I feel like we are just beginning to break the surface of our relationship too. There are so many things Drew and I want to do with you! I so wish we all lived closer. Perhaps a road trip with you and the lovely Racheal is indeed necessary! :) I think you are such a cool guy with a huge calling in life. I can't wait to see that develop more in the future. Please know that Drew and I are incredibly proud of you and are always here for you. Hope to see you very soon!

Love,

MB

P.S. Thanks for being such an amazing best man in our wedding. Seriously, you helped us so much. We could not have done it without you.

Day 13: FIL

FIL is my Father-In-Law Mike Darr. I choose to call him FIL because I feel that it best describes our relationship. It's not too formal, not too cutesy, just fun. FIL.

FIL is an very unique breed! (In a good way, of course). He is the most technology savvy person I have ever met. This man has essentially every Apple product ever made, Hi-Def this, Blu-Ray that, and a TV that makes most movie theatres shrink away in embarrassment. Seriously, technology is his stuff. I was the only one who knew anything about technology in my house growing up, so it is nice to have someone around who knows what they are doing, and even better, wants to do all the upkeep for you! Love that.

FIL has a great sense of humor. He likes to laugh and crack jokes and play pranks. We always have a great time when he comes into town, or vice-versa.

He loves music and was a music pastor forever pretty much. Now he works for Wycliffe which is an insanely cool company. Don't know what they do??? Look it up! It will be good for you!

He also likes his Starbucks...which is another reason we get along. I share his love for the mega-coffee company.

FIL-

Thank you for making me a part of your family so quickly. Thanks for being a father to me in the past year or so. I appreciate all of your care and defense in my honor. You have been incredibly helpful to me in just dealing with life. Thank you for raising such an amazing husband for me. He exceeds my wildest expectations for a spouse. I am sure that is because of how you and Julie raised him. What a blessing you all are to my life. I am so glad to be a part of the family.

Love,
DIL

Day 12: Cameron Darr

Cameron Darr is my brother-in-law. We have enjoyed getting to hang out with him a bit over the past few days, and hopefully more so in the next few.

Cam works at the Grand Chick-Fil-A. Yes, it is grand, do not question me on this fact. Chick-fil-a is one of our favorite fast food restaurants. It is glorious. We often refer to it as the Christian Chicken (if you have chick-fil-a you understand this concept). Anyway, enough about Chick-Fil-A. Cameron works there and therefore gets a 50% discount for family members. Needless to say, since Carbondale does not have a Chick-fil-a, Drew and I ate breakfast there yesterday and lunch there today.  Yum.  So, thank you Cameron for proving a friggin' sweet discount for your broseph and his wife.

Cameron has an insanely funny sense of humor. This kid is witty. He seems to be able to make even the most uncomfortable situation a laughing matter. It's a gift. For instance, one time, we were all going to a little wedding reception for his grandpa and step-grandmother. Cameron was referring to the tradition of the groom removing the bride's garter and throwing it to the single guys in the crowd. However, instead of saying "garter" he asked if "grandpa was going to take off Gunn's thong and throw it to the crowd." Needless to say, laughter erupted and I have never forgotten this moment, or stopped laughing at it. It was great.

He also has a really big heart and a kind spirit. In general, he is a really good guy. He has his head on straight and is an extremely hard worker. He also plays a mean piano. Seriously. He has pretty crazy skills on the ivory keys. He plays in a few worship bands in the area as well. Not to mention he is really smart. You don't get into the University of Florida for nothin' kids.

Cameron-

Drew and I think you are pretty awesome! We are very proud of the man you are becoming. Never lose your amazing sense of humor. We love hanging out with you and look forward to each trip! Please come see us some time in Carbondale! We will spoil you!

MB

This is a picture of Cameron and his beautiful girlfriend Emily.

Day 11: Kira Parfitt

Howdy gang! Drew and I just got back from a really fun day with Cary and Kira some our dear friends from college (and fellow newlyweds). We had a blast riding ATV's and hanging out with them all day. We miss them so much!

I got to spend a lot of great quality time with Kira today which was sort of a first for us. We have been friends for a while now, but we always did most activities as a couple. Today was great though because we had some great couple togetherness, but also some really needed one-on-one girl time.

We shopped at a mall while the guys hung out for a while. We had a great time looking for great deals, picking out clothes, trying on different lotions, and justifying our purchases, of course!

It was so refreshing to talk to another newlywed woman. We have so many things in common in our relationships and it is very neat to both be at the same stage in life.

Kira is golden. She is a beautiful girl with an enormous heart. Just in the way she talks you can sense her compassion for others. She is extremely kind and caring. We had so many laughs tonight! I just had a great, great time.

Kira-

Thank you for being my friend! It was so nice to see you guys tonight and I can't wait until we can reunite again soon! I really wish we lived closer to you guys so we could get together more often! Maybe someday that will happen! I love that you are a Southern Girl, like myself, and that we have so much in common. Your calm, sweet nature is an inspiration to me. You only speak kind words, which is an obvious connection to your heart. You and Cary have a beautiful relationship and Drew and I are incredibly excited to see what the Lord has in store for you.

This is a picture of all of us from Kira and Cary's wedding this summer:

Day 10: Julie Darr

It is so good to be with family! Drew and I get so lonesome up in Carbondale. We are in Orlando right now for a little Thanksgiving Goodness with The Darr side of the family. What a blast! I could not wait to get here. Seriously, traveling to anywhere from Carbondale is very difficult! But...we made it!

Julie is my fabulous mother-in-law. I met her early on, before Drew and I were even dating, and I always felt so at home in their house. She is incredibly hospitable and welcoming. Every time I visited their home she went out of her way to make me feel special. She would always have new sheets on Ali's bed for me, a cute little gift, or a great homemade meal waiting for us.

It was nice having a family so close by during college. I got homesick a lot, (and still do) and since my family was in Atlanta, the short drive from Palm Beach to Orlando became a frequent occurrence.

One of my favorite things about Julie is her excitement for life. She loves to have fun! This woman is a cheerleader for her family and when good things happen it is a huge celebration! She becomes super excited and the entire room fills with energy. I LOVE THAT. Her joy is truly contagious. It makes me so happy to see someone with so much passion!

Another thing I love about her is that she loves life. She truly lives each day and does not just go through the motions. She ran a half-marathon (and does not really consider herself a runner) just to prove she could do it and she made great time! Someday I would love to join her in one of these half-marathons! I think we would have a blast! She makes the best out of every situation and does her best to have a little fun along the way! I think that is an excellent way to live!

She is a great mom, not only to her biological children, but to me, (an in-law), her kid's friends, and pretty much anyone else who needs a mother at the moment. I remember one time I was going through a really difficult situation and I was not able to go home to be with my mom, but I just needed a mom. She gave me the best "mom" hug and it helped me so much. She has been there for me when I needed her and I appreciate that so much. 

I hope that someday Drew and I can live closer to both sides of our family so we can see all of them more often. Family is a treasure and if you are blessed with a good one cling to them.

Julie-

Thank you for welcoming me into your family with such open arms. I feel so at home with you guys. Thank you for raising a truly amazing man to be my husband. He is so kind, sweet, and virtuous. He loves the Lord with all of his heart and I know that is directly related to you and FIL's parenting. I love you guys so much and can't wait to see what the future of our family will look like! I love being with y'all and always have so much fun! Thank you for everything you have done for me and all that you are to me!

Love,

Mary

Day 9: Anna Karabensh

Today I got a text message from my dear friend Anna while she was shopping at one of my favorite malls in South Florida. That is where she and I used to do our marathon shopping. I miss her dearly (and the mall)!

Anna and I met through our husbands (then boyfriends). Drew and Greg were suite-mates during their freshman year of college. Anna came down from Vermont (before she enrolled in PBA) for Spring Formal and I got to meet her then. She seemed nice, and both of us liked each other, but sort of thought we had too little in common to be friends. Actually, we had just enough in common to be great friends and enough difference between us to keep it interesting.

Anna is a vegetarian. I am not. Anna is a hippy. I am not. Anna likes organic, natural, bohemian things. I like processed, plastic, pink sparkly things. She has super cute style in clothes, but it is completely different than mine. She is from a very small and cold town in Vermont (Yankee territory) and I am from Hot-lanta. She had a biased against people from the South, and I may have been a bit prejudiced about Northerners. Regardless, we are great friends.

She and Greg lived about 1 block south from Drew and I last year. That was so much fun! We would take walks together to the local market, carpool to our Zumba classes (which we obsessed over so much that we bought $70 worth of DVDs and have never used them), rearrange furniture until 2am, and of course, meet for tea, her awesome white chocolate cranberry cookies, and girl talk.

She is a wonderful listener. I always go to Anna when I have a crisis or need advice. She understands me and gives me Godly wisdom. I appreciate that so much!

She is incredibly talented. This girl is brilliant, plays the piano, the flute, makes beautiful jewelry, scrapbooks, can cook, and is fantastic at baking the aforementioned cookies! (Man I miss those!)

Drew and I were blessed to be able to be a part of Greg and Anna's wedding about a year and a half ago, and she and Greg were both attendants in our wedding party. She was such a help to me during the whole planning process.

We try to have a phone date every week or so and they are lovely. I need them! I love having a good girlfriend I can just chat with. Seriously, we will chat while grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, browsing the craft aisles at Michael's, and talk about everything and nothing all at the same time. We can just sort of live life together...on the phone. You really can't do that with many people! I am so grateful to have that kind of a relationship with her!

Anna, thank you for being a breath of fresh air in my life! I love how different we are and how close we are despite those differences. You are so kind and your heart is so gentle. I love being around you! Shopping with you at Sawgrass and picking out items for each other is one of my favorite memories with you! I respect you so much and look forward to our next conversation! Hopefully it will be in person, this week! Thank you for everything you are in my life: a friend, a sister, a teacher, a counselor, exercise partner, planner, and personal guru. You, my friend, are so dear to me!

Love,

Mary

This is a picture of us at my Bachelorette Party/Lingerie Shower: We were cooking. I like this picture because it is a good representation of Anna and me. We were having such a good time! 

 And of course...one from the wedding! (Get used to wedding pics, I got a lot of them!)

Day 8: Ali Darr

Tonight's subject, Ali, my sister-in-law is inspired by my excitement for getting to see the whole Darr clan in less than 48 hours! Drew and  I are so excited about going home for Thanksgiving. We just can't wait!

I met Ali about 4+ years ago when some friends and I came home with Drew for a Disney trip. She was an adorable bright eyed little 10 year old girl then. She was a dancer and had really long hair. She was kind enough to let us girls bunk in her room.

She and I grew closer over the years that Drew and I dated. We got to spend time together in Nebraska at Emily's wedding, on Disney trips, during her stays in West Palm Beach, and over Easter celebrations in Celebration. I grew up with a little brother, but never a little sister! I always had so much fun hanging out with Ali and getting to know her! Heck! She taught me to love High School Musical! (Which completely changed my life, thank you very much).

I was thinking tonight of all the fun things I want to do with Ali this week. I was like, "maybe she has some cool nail polish I can use on my nails", "maybe we can go shopping", "maybe she will want to watch a chick-flick with me". To sum it up, I miss this girl and I need to hang out with her. I don't like being so far away from family!

Ali is the best dancer I have ever seen. I am not being exaggerative, dramatic, or just saying that because I love her, it is true. She is a gifted and talented dancer. She makes me cry every single stinkin' time I watch her dance performances. I think it is amazing that the Lord can give people such fantastic talents. Ali uses her gifts to glorify God which is probably what makes them such emotional performances for people. You can completely tell that she is not dancing alone, but with God. It is incredibly beautiful.

Drew is really cute in how protective he is of Ali. He always talks about how he wants to be polishing a shotgun when she goes on her first date. I feel like I may need to intervene at that point, but he has every right to be protective. She is a stunningly beautiful young lady with a heart of gold and a spirit of innocence. Some day, some boy is going to be very blessed by her companionship. I pray that he is a godly man who will protect her and treat her like a princess. And knowing Ali she will accept nothing-less.

Ali is also very talented at making videos. She makes them all the time and they are adorable! She does anniversary videos, music videos, sentimental ones, funny ones, all in all this girl is pretty dang good at everything she does!

I will never forget when she spoke at our Rehearsal Dinner. She could barely speak she was crying so much. It was precious. She talked about how much she was going to miss Drew and what a great guy he was....the entire room was bawling. Seriously! There was not a dry eye in the house! It was really sweet and touching.

All that to say:

Ali I think you are an amazing girl! I am so proud of everything you do and all that you are! You are a woman of God and you have a gentle, kind spirit. You are so funny and so beautiful! I am blessed to have YOU as a sister. I look forward to growing even closer with you over the years! I think about what the future will look like for the Darr family often and I am excited for it! I love you and can't wait to see you this week!

Love,

Mary

     This is a picture from my bachelorette party before the wedding! Everybody put on funny costumes! 

     This is a flash from the past! This was taken before Emily's wedding a few years ago in Nebraska! 

And this of course was most recent, a picture from the wedding. 

Day 7: Gomperts

To quote Dr. Brauer during Brauer Hour "Gomperts? Gomperts?". Yes, Megan Gomperts, the one and only, is the subject of tonight's blog! I got some very good news from her recently! She and her great boyfriend Brett are headed out to Carbondale December 17th-19th for a weekend of fun, festivity, and yuletide traditions. Drew and I are SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about them coming!

Megan was Freshman year roommate #2! She and I became friends through mutual acquaintances and when things did not work out with either of our first roomies, we jumped at the chance to live together! I do not think either one of us would have survived that semester without each other! Even though Megan and I are completely different, we are very alike too. We both love planning weddings (specifically each others), the color pink, girly things, fashion, cheesy lifetime movies, and of course making home made music videos.

Megan and I will always be best of friends simply because we were family during our first semester. We were "home" to each other.

My favorite college memories with Megan:

1. The time she told me not to date "so-and-so" but to date Drew. She wanted me to marry Drew from day one. Seriously, she called it. She even told my mother I needed to date Drew. (Shows how well she knew me, seeing as how I did marry him!).

2. Making our music videos! Duh. Megan and I had no friends our first semester. Seriously. People in our hall were not fans of us. Probably because we were obnoxious and made lots of noise at 3 am. A typical night in Baxter 206 looked like this:

-I would come home from rehearsal around 9pm.
-I would ask Megan if she ate anything. Then I would make her easy-mac.
-Then we would pretend like we were going to clean our room only to take naps until about midnight.
-We would wake up, have a snack, and decide to make a music video or two.
-We would choose a random song, learn the words, put on character appropriate costumes, then hit record on her digital camera. No rehearsal, no discussion about plot, it just sorta happened. And it was magic. Seriously, if you have not seen these videos, you are missing out!

3. Our parties. We had a Friday the 13th party and an awesome Christmas party. Seriously, we had like 30 people in our tiny dorm room. It was off the hook. We even had a cream soda keg. It was so legit. :)

4. Um the time I saved her from shame and embarrassment in Dr. Brauer's class. I predicted that if she reached for her pencil that she dropped she was going to fall out of her chair. I dreamt this and then prevented it from happening all through AIM in class. $80,000 education folks, and I used AIM in class. Sad, but true. You're welcome though, for saving you from shame and embarrassment.

5. Leroy our ghost. Strange things happened in Baxter 206. Loud noises, cans flying out of our refrigerator, beds shaking, creepy shadow men showing up in film footage. Although he scared me sometimes, he was not dangerous. Just a spectator to our lives...and well who can blame him?!

6. I loved when we would come home and find Barb sitting in our room watching a movie eating popcorn. Still don't know how she got in there!

7. Do you remember our code words for visitors?

8. 2 Words: Canada and the Abyss.

9. The best surprise ever was when you flew down from Boston for the bridal shower with Anna in Orlando at Disney World. That was such a blast and made my year. What great friendships!

10. Our Christmas decorating at midnight on Nov. 1st. (Also, sleeping through Halloween).

Megan I love our friendship. I am beyond thankful for you. You were my first friend at PBA and I was so sad when you left. But I am so glad that our friendship did not cease when you left! You have been there for me through everything. You were an amazing help during the whole wedding season! Thank you for everything. I will never be able to thank you enough! You kept me sane. I love how low-key our friendship is. There is no drama. That is a blessing! We always have so much fun together just being ridiculous and goofing around. I am so happy for you and your new found happiness! I can't wait to meet Brett! I am so excited about seeing you next month! I cannot wait! I miss you tons and look forward to chatting soon!

As Mickey Says....

"See ya' real soon! Ha ha!"

Day 6: Roommate Love-Sarah Shick

Oh Shick-a-roni. 

I called Shick tonight and we had a great conversation. I love talking with that girl! She brightens my day and makes me feel homesick all at the same time. 

Allow me to introduce you to The Shickster:

This picture right here sums up her entire personality. 

You see, long story short Shick was my 3rd roommate my freshman year of college. (#1 was a drunk but #2 was a great friend who will be on here shortly!) Shick was randomly assigned to be my roommate. I was on Christmas break when she moved into our dorm, but when I came back to school I quickly discovered that my room had been taken over by pigs. Shick loves pigs. She and I did not think that we were going to get along, let alone become great friends. You see, she was a Yankee, I a Southerner. She loved pigs, I loved anything with pink feathers and glitter. I am not even sure when it was that we officially bonded, but somehow we did. 

Shick was my college roommate from that point on. Normally we lived with a few other girls but she and I always shared an actual room. We had amazing times together. 

Here are some of those fantastic memories:

1. Shick and I threw each other a surprise party on the same day. (with help from friends of course)

2. We had some great times putting on ridiculous outfits from our famed dress up box. Often a special performance of Shick singing Celine Dion's All By Myself followed.

3. Our final test prep. with techno dance breaks every 15 minutes.

4. The house rule that whenever one hears the song Tootsie Roll, one must stop whatever they are doing and dance until the song is over.

5. Christmas Decorating in 401, Towers 210, and The Crystal Palace (aka 324 1/2 N. L St.) Don't forget the LBJ. 

6. The great Bachelorette/Lingerie Party she and my friends threw for me. We stayed up till like 6am just talking on the beach. It was such a blast.

7. Taking naps together on the futon

8. Watching and reciting P.S. I Love You while crying our eyes out

9. Sometimes we would have crazy roommate moments in which we would say the exact same thing. One time we even got dressed at completely different times without seeing each other and were both wearing the exact same outfit. (Hey, sometimes we bought double so the other one could enjoy a good deal too!)

10. I loved the time Shick, Meg, and I stayed up literally till like 7am because Meg was moving the next morning. We stayed up all night talking, crying, and laughing mostly. 

11. I really enjoyed the time we picked Meg up at the airport after her grandfather passed away. We dressed up like insane people with neon colored windsuits and wigs complete with 1983 glasses. We got a really ugly response from Mr. Businessman in the elevator. It was great. 

12. I love that you are named Sarah Beth and I am named Mary Beth. Fate???

13. I love the time we went to Muvico and ate chicken fingers from common ground. 

Shick, I miss you so much. You are truly like a sister to me. I never knew I wanted a friend like you, but God knew I NEEDED a friend like you. You have taught me so much. You have taught me to always love others, even if you don't agree with them. You taught me what it means to be "green". You taught me to love pigs even. I have had amazing memories with you and can't wait to make even more. I think your outward beauty is only surpassed by the beauty of your soul. I am so proud of you. Thank you for always being there for me. I cherish our friendship. I love you and look forward to a time soon when we can reunite!

Love,

Roomie

Day 5: Jessica Newton Bowles

I started my day off today with a surprise phone call from none other than Jessica. Jessica is my fabulous cousin in case you were wondering. We usually chat more than once a week for long periods of time, but we have both been really busy (and phone bills were high) lately so this was a quick phone call! Short and sweet! But, a great beginning to my day none-the-less!

Jessica is not really a cousin though. She is pretty much my sister. Yes, we have different parents, but other than that, we are sisters. We look alike, act alike, and she even lived with my family for a while after she graduated college. That was one of the highlights of my youth! I was about 14 or 15 years old and very emotional, so it was nice to have a big "sister" around to cope with my irrational emotions. Ha! If you knew me at that age you can understand the martyrdom that Jessica deserves.

Here are some of my favorite memories together:

1. Closet Talks- What is a closet talk you may ask? You see, when Jessica lived with us we were both going through emotional times. She was fresh out of college deciding what to do with her life and like I said, I was a bratty teenager. Whenever one of us was upset we would both go into my walk in closet, close the door, and sit on the floor among the shoes and cry until we got it all out! We had amazing talks in that closet. Most of the time, after all the tears had dried, laughter occurred and then more tears fell! Those were some great times though. If that closet could talk!

2. Dinner time with Jessica- Yet again another memory from her time in Georgia with us! We always ate dinner together as a family. Isn't that cute? But that is not the point. Jess, Hank, and I all have very hilarious, albeit, quirky senses of humor, and when they combined the end result was always someone spitting out their food in hysteria. Normally, that was me. We would laugh, choke, cry, it was gruesome and it definitely offended my ettiquette diva mother, but even she could not resist the laughter.

3. One time Jess, Ba, and I were all going shopping together. I think I was around 13 and Jess was around 21 or so. We were all in the car listening to Jessica Simpson's newest cd. She covered the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow" and made it a very pop-gospel version. We were all 3 singing and dancing along like fools! Even my grandmother who kept saying "not the bluebird but the sparrow!". We laughed and laughed. That is one of my absolute favorite memories of both of them!

4. And of course, I love the memory of the times our mom's dressed us alike. Mind you, Jess and I are 8 years apart, but that did not stop our mom's (who are sisters) from buying us matching dresses and big @$$ bows for our hair. No sir. It looked semi-normal on me because I was like 8. But Jessica was 16 and matching her little 8 year old cousin. The pictures are PRICELESS.

5. And this one I can't even BEGIN to explain to all of you out there in blog land! Two words: SISTA NANCY.

There are SOOOO many more memories. Some are precious, some are hysterical. They all live though in both of our hearts.

Jess you are so special to me. I am so incredibly thankful that God blessed me with a cousin/sister (hey we are from Arkansas...it could be so much worse). You have always been there for me and I cannot thank you enough for that. You are one of the most beautiful women on the earth, inside and out. Seriously! You are so beautiful. You are so kind and an amazing mother to Reagan. You and Scott have a wonderful marriage and one that Drew and I model ours after. I am so proud to know you. I can't wait until we can reunite and have some more closet talks. I look up to you in every way.

Love you bunches.

MB (aka...sista Nancy)

This was us then......

and this is us now....

Day 4: Johnnie Omega Hanks "Ba"

Today's post is dedicated to my wonderful grandmother Ba. (Ba is pronounced like Bat---minus the "t, not Ba as in sheep).

I was listening to Christmas music today and I started reminiscing about my childhood Christmases. These were always spent at Ba's house. Let me start at the beginning of the season:

Shortly after Halloween she and my grandpa Papa would begin the decorating process. It was amazing. They owned a 100 year old victorian style home with a big front porch and an open floor plan. The porch was wrapped in garland, wreaths, lights, and bows. There were bright colorful lights in the bushes, trees, and outlining the roof. On the roof top was a huge sleigh with a big Santa driving it! In the back of the sleigh was a gigantic bag of toys. There were big toys also in the sleigh such as a large doll made by Ba, a toy train, a larger than life inflatable snoopy, and wrapped packages. It was so magical. I loved it.

When you walked in the front door you were greeted by a large evergreen Christmas tree with bright colorful lights. The tree was covered in array of ornaments ranging from cut-out hearts made by grandchildren to antique spinning ornaments, and even fancy ornaments from the white house. It was incredibly eclectic, but each ornament was a great conversation starter. There were always a million presents under the tree on the homemade tree skirt. Behind the tree was an antique record player which was built into a large wooden stereo. Bing Crosby and Elvis Christmas records were family favorites. On top of the wooden stereo was a Christmas Village collection all lit up.

As you continued into the house the smells of cinnamon potpouri, turkey and dressing, homemade pies, and Jesus' birthday cake filled the air. In the living room there was a large white brick fireplace with 10+ homemade embroidered stockings hanging from the mantle. Under the mantle on the tile area in front of the fireplace lived a collection of antique Christmas toys that Papa collected. They were so cool! There was a little monkey that played a drum, magnetic whales that jumped and did flips, penguins that slid down a snow slide, a helicopter that flew in circles, and a battery operated red car. There was also a long strand of fishing wire tightly wound across the room with a little clown that rode back and forth on it. My mom has this toy in her house now. These toys were a favorite memory for the grandchildren. We used to take turns playing with them.

In the dining room there would be a magnificient spread of homemade goodness! A big turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole with toasted marshmallows on top, corn, peas, cranberry sauce, a relish tray, green beans, ham, chocolate pie, pecan pie, lemon ice box pie, and of course sweet tea. I think it goes without saying that the selections were all homemade and took several days to make! We would all pile around the huge table and pray together then enjoy my grandmother's feast. There was nothing better than this, family, Christmas, and good southern cookin'! Sidenote: this was not just a Christmas occurrence, my grandmother would make a spread like this nearly every Sunday afternoon.

Over the french-door frame in the dining room hung many little stockings. These were where Santa left Christmas money when he dropped grandchildren presents off at Ba and Papa's house. There was an old fashioned organ in the living room that I loved to play Christmas music on. This was one of my favorite "toys".

The local newspaper even wrote an article about Ba's house at Christmas, complete with color pictures. My mom has it framed in her office.

These memories are why I love Christmas as much as I do. My grandmother made this season so incredibly magical for me. She lives in a nursing home now, so her house is no longer the central point for Christmas, but it will always be where my mind goes to on Christmas.

I love Ba so very much. She is 89 years old and gets more beautiful each year. She has the kindest and most gentle heart. She is a grace-filled woman with a great sense of humor. She taught me so much about Jesus and family. Every time I talk to her she tells me to treasure each and every moment because live is so wonderful and it fades by so quickly. She and my grandfather had a glamourous 1940s romance. I want to be just like her when I am a grandma. I cannot wait for my home to be the Christmas gathering place.

This is the most recent picture of us. She was not able to come to my wedding so I tried on my dress for her when I visited her in July.

Day 3: Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw: My "Broseph"

If you do not know my brother you are seriously missing out. He is the funniest person alive. I swear. He is so much funnier than any movie star or comedian. This kid will make you crack. Some of my favorite memories of him include:

1. His traps. Growing up Hank would constantly set "traps" for me. He would hide ropes under my bed so that when I walked near my bed he could pull a rope and tie up my feet. This phases lasted a long time, but it always made me laugh.

2. When we were about 11 and 6 years old we were obsessed with the tv show All That. So we made our own version. I will never forget the sketch where Hank dressed up as Detective Dan. He was adorable and very funny. I am telling you, this kid has amazing comedic timing.

3. I loved sharing our summers together growing up. Even though we did not always get along, when we did it was such a blast. We would play legos for days from sunrise to bedtime.

4. I loved and still love jumping on the trampoline in the summer with a bottle of dishwashing soap and a water hose. Dangerous? Yes. But so much fun. You can barely even stand up!

5. My absolute favorite vacation was when we went to Disney World a few years ago. I think I was around 20 and he was about 16. We stayed for extra magic hours which meant we could stay in the parks until about 3 am. He and I rode Splash Mountain, in the rain, with ponchos on, 8 times in a row. Does not get any better than that folks.

6. My brother does some CrAzY magic tricks.

On a serious note though, Hank is an amazing guy. He has a heart of gold and the faith of a warrior. He truly knows what it means to be a disciple of Christ. I am so proud of everything he has accomplished and who he is. I cannot wait to see what becomes of him as the years continue. He will be a remarkable husband and amazing father someday. He is an inspiration to me and I love him so much.

Hank I am so proud of you. You are a man of noble character.

Love,

Sis

Day 2: Nancy Hanks Shaw

Okay, so I know I said that I would not be ranking people in any specific order, but I think I need to make the first 3 people my closest family members. Right? I mean, Drew is married to me, my mom gave me life, and tomorrow's subject has lived with me for his whole life. I think it is only fair. So after #3 the ranking will stop and everyone will be considered equal! Can we all agree on that?

Nancy Hanks Shaw: My fabulous mother.

Oh where to start. My mom is all of the following:

1. My best girlfriend
2. The only person who will be completely honest with me when discussing fashion decisions
3. A woman with great taste and style
4. The etiquette diva
5. Quite funny
6. Super strong and always there for me
7. She is great at shopping for others
8. The best Mom
9. A kind person
10. A woman of faith
11. A true Southern Woman full of both Sass & Class
12. The best shopper I know. Seriously, if shopping were a sport (and who says it ain't?) she would dominate. She is the only person I know who found a $200 black velvet and white satin ball gown for me, on sale at Lord & Taylor for $5.45, and proceeded to use a coupon on it. This....this friends is a GIFT.

Mom-

I love you to the moon and back! I miss you so much. I do not like being separated by this many states. Nor do I like being in the North while you are reining on your throne in the glorious South! I can't wait until we get to go shopping again soon. Thank you for all you have done in my life. Thank you for teaching me right from wrong, how to work hard, respect others, bake cookies, and find a deal when shopping! You are the best! Thank you for throwing Drew & me the best wedding ever. I love you bunches! You are my hero and the strongest woman I know. I hope to be half as good of a mother as you are someday.

All my love,

Mare

P.S. - L.I.T.S.F.O.J.

Day 1: Drew Darr

Okay, I can't help but list Drew as the first person I am thankful for on my blog. He is my husband and my best friend, and he encouraged me to write about him. LOL. If you know Drew, you can only imagine. 


Here is why I am thankful for Drew and his influence in my life:


1. He is the nicest guy I know.
2. He is handsome.
3. He always knows how to make me laugh.
4. He is my support and my rock. 
5. He always makes me Mickey Mouse pancakes when I am sad. I love that.
6. He spoils me and takes me to Disney World even when I annoy him and act like a 3 year old.
7. He writes me poetry and sweet letters.
8. He makes me want to be a better person. Seriously, when I am with him I feel compelled to be so much better than I would be on my own.
9. He has a beautiful relationship with God and a faith that I strive to emulate.
10. He is brilliant.
11. He takes care of me.




There are a million things I could list about why I am thankful for my wonderful husband. 


To sum it up: 


Drew, you are the most honorable person I know. I respect you, cherish you, and love you. I have so much fun with you. Thank you for loving me back. I look forward to each moment of the rest of our lives together. 


All my love,
Wifey

A Year of Thanksgiving

Tonight I wrote an email to a former professor of mine. It was actually a 
facebook message and it was in response to his message in regards to him 
taking a job at another university. He was asking for prayer and understanding as this was a difficult transition for he and his family to make.


I responded by writing a very brief message thanking him for all of his years of service and dedication to his students....my prayers are with you....etc. 


Then I thought about what I was telling him. I was telling him thank you for the impact he had on my life. I imagine he will get several similar messages that will make him feel supported, missed, and he will know the influence he had on people's lives. 


Then I said to my husband "wouldn't it be cool if we took the time every day to write one message like this to someone who has influenced our lives?".

A Year of Thanks! 


I pondered this idea for a few minutes and decided that this was an idea that would benefit the people who were thanked, as well as the person doing the thanking. Both parties would recognize the relationship and its effect on their lives. 


So I have decided to blog about a different person of influence to my life each day. 


Here are the Rules:


1. There is no specific order to my blogging. It is not in order of importance. Just because you are # 12 does not mean that you are more influential than # 364. It simply means you came to mind on that specific day. 


2. I will only write about human beings. I will not write a blog specifically about God (although He will undoubtedly be mentioned numerous times) because I could and should write every blog about Him. This blog is about the people He has blessed me with by putting them in my life. 


3. I will limit my blogs to people that I know directly or through close proximity. Meaning, I will not write about C.S. Lewis because I do not personally know him, nor does anyone I know. However, I could write about Drew's Grandmother because of the influence she had on him, and thus on me, even though I never got to physically meet her. 


4. My blog subjects can be alive or dead.