Day 45: Angel

This week I have been continuing my training at NeuroRestorative. I have worked with many different people, but one coworker has specifically stood out to me. Her name is Angel, and she is just as sweet as an Angel.

She has been incredibly helpful to me. She has made me feel welcomed and taken the time to get to know me. She is super friendly, nice, and open. She is one of those people who not only answers my questions about her, but also asks questions about me. I think that is refreshing and polite!

Angel is so sweet to all of the participants in our programs at work. Seriously, she treats them like they are family members. She hugs them, tells them she loves them, jokes with them, and is go gentle. I have never seen her lose her cool or be rough with a participant. Sadly, I have seen that from some other co-workers. She is an inspiration to me at work and I love it when I work with her. She is just so helpful and I want to treat other people the same way she treats them.

Angel,

Thank you for all of your help thus far! You have truly been a blessing in my life. You are so kind and have such a big heart. Your compassion for others is incredibly obvious. I hope for the best for you! Thank you for encouraging me and being an inspiration!

Sincerely,

Mary

Day 44: Patrick Locke

Patrick has to be one of the best men on the entire planet. He is my cousin-in-law. He was married to my fabulous cousin Gigi until she passed away last year. I don't know if I know a stronger man.

Patrick is a wonderful father to 4 adorable and awesome kids. He works full time, home schools his kids, manages his household, and is somehow still sane. He has been blessed with help of course, but the quality of your family is directly related to the parents. Patrick is all quality. Seriously, he has a huge heart. He is such a kind person.

He was an amazing help to my family when my parents divorced. He was supportive and was kind enough to escort my mother to various events including my wedding. He was a friend to us, which sometimes offers even more than family. Not to mention, he understood the difficulties of being a single parent.

Patrick is an amazing father. He is so strong and a great support for his kids. He is there for them and loves them so much. I have seen him in some stressful situations, but I have never seen him lose his temper or yell. That is so refreshing. He is a great role-model for all of his kids, but especially his sons. I cannot think of a better example of a father.

Patrick,

Thank you for being such a kind person. Thank you for being an awesome example of a Godly man. Your love for the Lord is so evident in your life! It is revealed in your kindness and giving nature toward others, your love for your children, the love you had and still have for Gigi, and your spirit in general. I have loved getting to know you more over the years. I love spending time with you and your family. You guys are so wonderful and I love you all so much! Thank you for your example.

Love,
Mary Beth

This is a picture of Patrick and his beautiful family!

Day 43: Alice Schenzel

Today Drew and I were having a great conversation and somehow the topic of his grandma (Alice Schenzel) came up. I just stopped and said "I miss not knowing her. I think I would have really liked her". Grandma Schenzel passed away about 10 years ago to cancer. Her death was way too sudden and entirely too early. I know her death left a huge hole in all of the Darr's and Schenzel's hearts. A hole in my heart grew after meeting their sweet family and hearing all the amazing stories of Grandma Schenzel. I miss her and I have never formally known her. Her influence on Drew and his family though is incredibly obvious.

From what I have heard she loved to spoil her grandchildren. That is awesome. That is exactly the kind of grandma I want to be and every child deserves to have. I have seen pictures of Drew growing up and he had amazing outfits thanks to his grandma. I am not even gonna go into how many outfits Ali was blessed with, but you can imagine....a TON. She was a princess in the eyes of Grandma Schenzel, as I am sure Annie and Emily were too.

Over Thanksgiving I got to watch some home videos with her in them. It was really neat. I felt like I got to know her so much better through the videos. I got a feel for her style, her mannerisms, her character, and her reactions with her family. Wow. It made me cry like a baby. Julie and I were sitting on the couch with our hands stuffed with tissues out crying each other. It made me so sad to have not known Grandma.

Julie has told me that her mom loved bling. I love that. I think she and I would have gotten along well because I also love bling. The louder and more sparkly the better! In all seriousness though, I feel a strange connection to Grandma Alice despite never meeting her. I love her for who she was to her family. I know they are unique because of her love. I wish I would have known her. I would have loved to have gone shopping with her! I would have loved being spoiled by her I am sure! I would have loved sharing traditions that revolved around Grandma and Grandpa Schenzel's home. I bet it was magical, especially around Christmas. In general I love grandmothers, but Alice was special. She was Drew's grandmother.

Grandma Schenzel,

I know you are looking down on all of the Schenzel and Darr clan. I know you are so proud of who your children and grandbabies have become and are excited to watch in joy as their futures continue. I just wanted to say thank you for your influence on them, and thus on me. You raised a remarkable daughter who is a great wife, mother, and mother-in-law. Thank you for spoiling Drew and loving on him so much. He is such a sweet and sensitive guy and I am sure that has to do with you. He talks about you all the time. He misses you. We all do. I am so glad I get to know you even if it is through their memories and stories. Thank you for your legacy.

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 42: Lois Parks

Lois, or "Muffy" as her family and friends call her, is one of my favorite women ever. She is a dear family friend of ours and I consider her to be basically another aunt of mine.

Lois is so many things. She is very intelligent, incredibly beautiful, funny, sweet, hospitable, graceful, and kind. She always has me in stitches laughing. She has a million hysterical stories that I love hearing! If you don't know the spray tan story, please stop whatever you are doing and ask her to tell it to you. You will never be the same after hearing/seeing her reenactment.

She has been such a fun part of my life the past years I have known her. The night Drew and I got engaged she came over and saw my ring and told us congratulations. I loved telling her all of my wedding planning tales. She is a great listener. She is also a great host! She hosted a Texan themed shower for Drew and I before we got married (when we were still moving to Dallas) which was a blast! I love going to her parties.

She and some other incredible women (who will be on here shortly) were a great help to our wedding. They made about a million (or that's what it seemed like) Oreo Truffles and other delights for the reception. She was at our wedding way early in the day setting everything up. What a blessing she was to our wedding.

Lois has the faith of a warrior. She is an excellent role-model. She encourages and inspires me in so many ways. She is just as sweet as she could be, but she is also a strong woman. She relies fully on God and never hesitates to intercede for others. She has been a constant friend to my family through the mountains and valleys of life and has helped us remain faithful. I am so thankful for her friendship to not only me, but my whole family. This woman knows how to pray and I love that.

Lois,

Thank you for everything you have done for me and my family. Thank you for being a shoulder to cry on, having a comforting embrace, an intelligent wit, and a heart that belongs to Jesus. You have been such a blessing to me. You are an amazing woman and I hope to someday be like you in many ways. You always know how to make people happy and make them crack a smile. You are one of the kindest people I know. I miss you terribly. It was so nice to see you on Christmas Eve. Thank you for being a great role model for so many young women! I love you!

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 41: Elizabeth Kerns

It was like a 911 response to an emergency- urgent, ugly, and in desperate need of professional help. This was my hair appointment with Elizabeth Kerns last week. She saved my hair. For real.

Maybe that sounds a bit dramatic, but in all seriousness my hair needed her. I gave myself a "homemade hairstyle" back in September because I was too poor to get it cut and highlighted. So I dyed it brown and cut it myself. Now, it was not horrible, but I hated it. So when I went home for Christmas I knew I had to call Elizabeth.

Elizabeth recently got her hairstylist license and a new fancy salon job too! Congratulations!

I have known Elizabeth for probably 3 or 4 years through family friends, but we have never really been all that close. She was always super sweet, but during our little hair get-together we talked about a ton of stuff and I felt like I got a great insight into Elizabeth. I had so much fun! She was so kind, funny, interesting, and not to mention extremely talented. She gave me awesome blonde highlights and a haircut that has easily become one of my favorites! She listened to exactly what I told her I liked and did an amazing job. I love it!

Elizabeth was so sweet to me when I lost my cat Lucy. She wrote me some really encouraging words on facebook that meant so much to me. I was incredibly blessed by her kindness and concern for me.

Elizabeth,

Thank you for saving my hair!! Thank you for being so sweet and kind to so many people. You are a great listener and a compassionate person. I loved getting to know you better last week! I look forward to seeing you again soon. I hope you had a fabulous Christmas! Thanks again for an amazing haircut!

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 40: Betsy Newton

Tonight's blog is about my oh-so-fabulous Aunt Betsy. She is my mother's other sister and if you read my post about Jessica, she is Jess's mom. 

I grew up with Aunt Betsy always being really close by. I would see her several times a week so she basically was like a second mother to me growing up. Betsy cracks me up. She always has. She has a ridiculous sense of humor and a great sense of sarcasm! I love it. She always has me in stitches when we visit. 

I refer to Betsy as the "fireball". You see, she is a petite little woman but don't you dare underestimate her physical or emotional strength. She is the sister in the family who gets stuff done! She puts people in line and makes them straighten up. I think it is glorious! When Nancy and Gaye can't get the job done, bring in the big guns Betsy! 

Betsy is one the best cooks I have ever met. She knows how to cook just about anything and it all tastes so amazing. We love going to visit she and George simply because we always get amazing meals! She is so hospitable and always makes everyone feel at home. As soon as you walk in the door she wants to know if you are hungry or thirsty, and she is not satisfied until you are. True Southern Hospitality. I love it. Drew gains like 5 pounds every time we visit. He does not complain though! 

Betsy is such a giver. She was an incredible help at my wedding. She organized, purchased, and set up so many details and items of the day (the week really). She hosted an incredible Bridesmaids Brunch for me. It was beautiful and delicious. My Bridesmaids loved it. I remember I was freaking out about not having any concealer and she just whipped some out of her makeup bag and said "here, have this one". She has always been like that. I hesitate to even compliment her on anything because she is likely to give it to me. Not that I don't want it, but she should keep it! 

Betsy has been an incredible help to my family. She has always had a plan or creative way of dealing with life's difficulties. She takes care of everybody. I love that about her. I know I can always call her and cry if I need to. 

Betsy, 

Thank you for being an amazing Aunt to me. You have always been so close to me and I love that. Thank you for spoiling me. Thank you for always helping me and my family. Thank you for your incredible helpfulness at our wedding! I don't know what we would have done without you! Thank you for being so funny and so much fun to be with! Thank you for keeping me in stitches laughing. I love coming to visit you and hopefully we will head that way again very soon. 

Love you!

Mary Beth 

This is a picture from my Bridesmaid Brunch! My mom, me, Jessica, and Aunt Betsy.

Day 39: Brett Gardner

Dearest friends,

I was incredibly blessed this past weekend by a wonderful visit from friends. My wonderful friend Megan Gomperts and her awesome boyfriend Brett came to visit us! Brett bought plane tickets for them to come visit as part of Megan's Christmas present. Well, it was also an amazing Christmas present for me! I loved having them stay with us. It was such a pleasure getting to know Brett.

Now of course I have only officially known Brett for about 3 days, but I can tell you that he is a genuine person. He is very kind. He has a genuine heart and spirit and truly wants to do nice things for people. What a rare find in today's society! He was just as sweet as could be.

He spoils Megan. I mean SPOILS her. He treats her like a princess and that is pretty awesome. I am extremely picky when it comes the the guys my friends date so for me to give this guy 2 thumbs up, you have to know how well he treats Megan. He was constantly checking on her to make sure she was comfortable, not too cold or too hot, full, happy, you name it. It was really sweet. He doted on her the whole weekend and was just so sweet to her. I loved it. It is so nice to see a friend treated so well. It is also great to see her date such a quality guy.

Brett is a really intelligent guy and a super hard worker. He is an engineer and is also going to be starting his Master's degree soon. I am not sure how he manages all he does, but he seems to be a "pro" at life! He has a good head on his shoulders which is also such a GREAT thing to see on a guy.

Well, if you could not tell, I am a Brett fan.

Brett,

Thank you for blessing both Megan and me by the trip to Carbondale. It was so kind of you and it meant so much to me to have you guys here. We had such a blast with you guys! Thank you for being such a nice boyfriend to Megan. Thank you for treating her with the respect and admiration that she deserves. I know how thankful she is for you and how happy you have made her. It is rare for me to really like one of my friend's boyfriends, but you are so kind, it would be really hard for me not to like you. Thanks for all the fun this weekend! We hope to make it up to Boston to see you guys soon!

Sincerely,

Mary Beth

Day 38: Dr. Katherine the Vet

Most of you know I had to put my kitty to sleep 2 months ago. It absolutely broke my heart. She was around 13 years old, which is not that old for a cat. She had kidney disease though and became very sick very quickly. I am still so sad about her death.

The biggest problem I had though throughout her dying was that our usual vet Dr. Casey wanted to put her down without any member of our family present, and also without sedating her first. The idea of her last memory being being taken away from people who loved her to a Dr. she did not like, and then be held down against her will and injected with what can be a very painful medication, broke my heart. I could not make the decision to put her down knowing those would be circumstances.

My parents found another Veterinarian that assured us that she would sedate Lucy before injecting her with the medicine that would stop her heart. She assured us that she would not feel any pain and that someone could stay with her and hold her the whole time. I am so thankful for that.

Dr. Katherine,

Thank you for making my sweet kitten so comfortable during her last few minutes on earth. Thank you for taking the time to reassure us that she would not be in pain. Thank you for letting my dad sit in the room with her and hold her while you administered the medicine. Putting her to sleep was the most difficult decision I have ever made. I did not want her to ever suffer, so when I saw that she was beginning to I am glad there was a doctor with your compassion and care to help her. Thank you for doing the right thing when so many other doctors do not. You have an excellent bedside manner for the families of your patients and a kind heart. I am so appreciative of the way you treated Lucy. Thank you for doing difficult work so kindly.

Sincerely,

Mary Beth

Day 37: Sierra Minott

Sierra is a beautiful friend of mine! She and I met in our freshmen acting class and have been buddies since!

Sierra is easily one of the most graceful and grace-filled people I know. She is not only an extremely talented dancer (I swear I have never seen the girl trip), but she has a heart for the Lord and a passion for people. She loves speaking to teenage girls and young women and is very talented at it. I love hearing her speak. And let's just put it candidly, she has been given many opportunities to speak to girls because of some previous accomplishments! ;)  Being 4th runner up in the Miss America competition gives you a pretty awesome platform for life.

Sierra is a blast to hang out with! She has an awesome sense of humor and a fantastic laugh! It is so contagious! We have had so many nice times together through out college. She and some other girls through a surprise party for me during my sophomore year for just being me. It was so sweet and I was incredibly touched. They treated me like a Princess and spoiled me with balloons, gifts, a scrapbook, cupcakes, and chocolate covered strawberries! Not to mention it was an all pink party meaning that all the guests had to wear pink. It was so much fun and such a blessing to me!

Sierra was such a help to me during the week of my wedding! She helped with about a million things from programs, to greeting, to decorating, to helping keep everyone on time, and so many other things that I am sure I am not even aware of! It was a blessing to have her help, but mostly to have her there. She has been someone I knew I could always go to with prayer requests and support during college and having her there was so special to me!

Sierra,

Thank you for being my friend! Thank you for taking time to get to know me and just hang out together. I have loved always having fun with you and especially loved the numerous lunches or coffee dates we had last year. I am so proud of everything you have accomplished, but more importantly of who you are. You are stunning inside and out, but the Lord is so pleased with your heart. You are one of the best women I could ever imagine looking up to and I hope someday my daughter (if I have a daughter) has a friend and role model like you to look up to! I can't wait to hear and see where life takes you. It is such an amazing journey and I am excited for what life holds for both of us. I miss you dear and hope to catch up with you very soon!

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 36: Anna Kelly "Hackin' Through the Blog"

Today's blog is a celebration for a very momentous occasion! Anna Kelly went to Disney World for the first time in her life. CONGRATULATIONS ANNA!!! WHOOOO HOOO!!!!

Okay here is something you may or may not know about me: I love me some Disney World (if you have ever met me you probably knew that). So when one of my dear friends told me she had never been to the Mouse's house and was 21 years old at the time...it broke my heart. BUT, now I rejoice because she got to go this past weekend! I have not been able to hear about her trip though, other than a very enthusiastic and magical voicemail, but I look forward to that conversation ASAP.

Anna Kelly is her first and last name, but seeing as how I am a southern belle, I call her Anna Kelly as if it were her first name (like Mary Beth). Sometimes I wonder what her last name really is, but then I remember that I am merely crazy.

AK, as she will be referred to on the blog from here on out, is lovely. She is actually a lot of things.

She is like things including, but not limited to:
-Funny
-Talented
-Goofy
-Gorgeous
-Godly
-Smart
-Smart Aleck-y
-an Amazing Singer
-My long lost Soul Sister
-Southern
-Fabulous
-Creepy

So you get it? Yes? AK is just about as good as they come. I love this girl. I miss her dearly.

One of my favorite things about her is that she shares my affinity with being super creepy. We like to stalk each other. We like to sneak attack people. We like to write "creeper notes" to each other and make creeper jokes whenever possible. The more inappropriate the better. We often get very tickled at our own inappropriate jokes and laugh until the point of tears or spewing of our beverages. It is DELIGHTFUL!

Anna and I also have separate identities known as Mitzy and Muffy. I am Muffy and she is Mitzy and we are two Palm Beach diva-extraordinaires who talk in snobby British accents and show up quite frequently when driving, party planning, gossiping, making plans, leaving voicemails, or shopping at Goodwill. So basically, we are MB & AK 1/2 the time and Mitzy and Muffy the other 3/4. (Did you check my math? Just trying to keep y'all on your toes! If you didn't notice the error then toss back another glass-o-wine and give yourself a little hoorah!).

Anna is one of the kindest people I have ever met though. She and I worked at Revolution in Belle Glade together often and she was always the "good cop". You can probably guess who was the "bad cop". She has an incredible heart though and it is service driven. She loves the Lord and it is so evident in her daily life. She spent over a month in Cambodia working with little girls who were involved in sex trafficking. That is amazing and humbling. I can't imagine ever having the strength or bravery to do such a task. But God asked her to, and she did.

Anna blessed our wedding with her amazing pipes this past June. Wow. Incredible. She has the prettiest voice of anyone I have EVER heard. I know so many talented people, but I could listen to Anna sing all the time. If you know me, you know how amazing she is because I am SUPER critical when it comes to voices. I wish I had a cd from our wedding so I could listen to her sing all the time.

Anna, (Mitzy)

I miss you entirely too much "dahling". Life is just not the same without my daily dose of Anna. You are a little beam of sunshine that always made my day so spectacular! I loved getting to know you and be your friend the past 2 years. I only wish we would have bonded sooner! You are so beautiful inside and out! You are talented! You are kind! And ya know you crack me up! But most importantly you are a woman of God. You live by that standard and you are a role model and inspiration to me. Ah! Please come see me in C-dale. We could do our infomercials all the time! I miss you my dear and your "terlet" shammy. I love you so much and can't wait to catch up soon!

Love,

MB (Muffy)

P.S. I will ALWAYS "hack through" anything with you!

Day 35: Lauren Austin

Tonight we had small group. I really love Thursdays because of small group. I really enjoy getting to know the people in our group.

Tonight Lauren brought everybody a little tin of cookies and an adorable "It's a Wonderful Life" card. Her cookies were awesome! I don't know how she had time to make so many! She made these great fluffy chocolate chip cookies, mint chocolate chip cookies (which are a cool color and taste JUST like the ice cream), and a really gourmet type of cookie including rosemary as an ingredient. I am very impressed. I am actually snacking on one as I am writing this.

I don't know Lauren very well yet, but she has already influenced my life. She has intrigued me since the first day I met her. I am not quite sure what it is about her, but something about her is just really neat in my mind. Just from knowing her the past few months I have seen how kind she is. She was so sweet to me when my cat died. She came up to me and gave me a big hug, which was EXACTLY what I needed that day. She shares my love for cats, which makes her super cool in my book.

Lauren is a great mother. She always talks about Ori and about how much she misses him when she is not with him. You can tell by the look in her eyes how much she loves her son. I think that is so inspiring.

Lauren is also incredibly beautiful! She has the prettiest face and skin and awesome style. Her style is really unique and original which I think is true fashion. She does not copy Hollywood. She wears what she likes, and looks beautiful because of that!

My favorite thing about Lauren is her un-relentless pursuit of the Lord. She is so passionate about her relationship with God. She is humble and has a beautiful desire for God. I love that. She is always asking for prayer and I think that shows how much she needs and wants God. I can't describe that anyway other than beautiful. I know God is glorified by her pursuit of Him. She also has a really insightful blog of her daily Bible readings that I love reading.

Lauren,

I think you are really awesome. Thank you so much for being so sweet to me and everyone else. You are a really nice breath of fresh air in the world. Not many people have your passion for God, others, and life. I respect you so much. You have influenced my short time in Carbondale significantly. Thank you. I look forward to getting to know you better!

Sincerely,

Mary Beth

Day 34: Susan Brown

Today we had more training for my new job. Now as weird as this may sound, our instructor today (who was a man) actually made me think of Susan. No, he was not feminine, and no she is definitely not masculine, they simply had the same sense of humor. It was great! He kept phrasing things and making jokes the same way Susan does. Thus, today's topic: Susan Brown.

Do you know Susan? If you do not, you are SERIOUSLY missing out. No joke. This woman is a lifesaver. She is a renaissance woman. There is nothing she does not know how to do! She is an administrator, a spiritual leader, a mom, a wife, a friend, a wedding guru, a fast driver, a mission leader, etc. She can do EVERYTHING. In the past if I have had a theological question I have gone to her. If I have a life predicament I go to her. If I need advice on overcoming stage fright-Susan. If I need a job connection-Susan. You name it, she knows it, or knows somebody who does! I love that!!

I pretty much have two people who are responsible for my wedding: my mom and Susan Brown. Susan was my wedding coordinator. She was amazing. She helped me think of things to prepare for, organize all the decorations, food, staff, musicians, guests, attendants, and a million other things. She was there months before helping me scope out the building. She fought for me when I was afraid of stepping on people's toes. Heck, she put the staff at the ballroom in line! I thank the Good Lord for her nearly every day, because if it was not for her, my wedding would not have run nearly as smoothly, nor would I have enjoyed it so much. She kept me calm all while ensuring that I got exactly what I wanted. I never had to settle. At the rehearsal and the actual wedding she kept everything running and I am so thankful for that. She got things DONE. Love her.

Susan is one of the kindest people I know. She has been there for me, my mom, my brother, my extended family and so many others right when we needed her most. She helped my mom figure out life after a devastating tragedy struck my family. She helped my cousin and her family prepare for a heartbreaking death and funeral. She transported me to and from the ATL airport countless times. I don't understand how she has the strength to be strong for so many all the time. It is a pure gift from God.

Susan,

Thank you for all you are to so many people. You have been an angel in my life. You have been so supportive and kind to my family. You have helped us in the midst of a crisis so many times. Thank you for being such a good friend to my mom. Thank you for being a friend to me. Thank you for your wise advice that you have given me over the years. You have blessed me so much. Mostly, thank you for being my wedding guru. I could not have had the wedding I had without you. There is nothing I can do or say that will ever feel like enough of a thank you. You made my wedding day so incredibly special for me. All I can do is say thank you. You have so many wonderful skills and such a heart for the Lord. I look up to you in countless ways! Hope to see you over Christmas!

Love,
Mary Beth

Day 33: Sarah Newland

Sarah Newland, Say-ruh, as I like to call her is a dear friend of mine from high school. She called me today, but I was unable to talk with her because I have been sick and today my voice is almost completely gone. Yuck. No fun. And I really wanted to talk to her! We did text though tonight for a little bit and caught up on life to some degree.

I only have a handful of friends that I have stayed in contact with after high school (all who will be on the blog eventually) and Sarah is one of them. She and I are very similar. We are both extremely close to our families. We both got really homesick in college. We both tend to be emotional saps and cry at stupid things and at sad things, but that just means we have hearts, yes? Sarah and I also have a similar sense of humor: bizarre. We like sarcasm, stupidity, and love to laugh until it hurts. We have laughed until it hurt MANY times. Hopefully, many more!

Sarah and I were both psychology majors in college. She is now studying for her Master's degree in Kentucky (I am jealous that you are in grad. school!) and I am working in Illinois. We are actually only about 3 hours away, so we are wanting to plan a trip to either meet half way or do a weekend trip to see each other. We need to get on that!

There are so many fun memories I have with Sarah. Sleepovers, driving with each other for the first time,  birthday parties, Christmas parties, classes, plays, dancing/talking really ghetto, or at least attempting to, and so many more.

I miss seeing Sarah often. I miss having someone to talk to and see everyday! I miss even being able to see each other over school breaks since her family is all in Kentucky now and mine is still in Georgia. A reunion is definitely due!

Sarah is one of the strongest women I know. She has been through a lot in life and has fought for happiness. She never gave up on life, no matter how much she may have wanted to. She is an inspiration. She is a great role-model for other women. I can't wait to see how she uses her testimony and life lessons to help others. She will make an amazing impact in the world.

Sarah,
I miss you so much! I love all of our memories from high school. I am so thankful that even though we did not see each other often in college we remained friends! I am so glad to have you in my life! You are so sweet and fun to be with. Your heart is so big and you love the Lord. You are a great friend and an amazing listener. I love talking to you!! I can't wait until we can get together again and goof off! I am so proud of all that you have accomplished! You are a fighter! You are fierce, yet feminine and delicate. You are beautiful! I am so proud to call you my friend. Your friendship means so much to me! I miss you and love you! Hope to see you VERY soon!

Love,

Mary B.

This is a pic of us from one of our annual Christmas parties! 

Day 32: Dr. Zombory

Well as many of you know, I started training for my new job today. I am working with NeuroRestorative (the #1 Brain Injury Rehab facility in the nation) as a Life Skills Trainer. I am very excited about this opportunity and can't wait to actually use the education that I got in college! Today though we spent a lot of time learning about the brain, which was all a review to me thanks to one class: Cognitive Psychology.

The name Dr. Zombory brought fear to my mind before I had any of his classes. It is well known at PBA that he has a reputation for being one of the hardest professors and it is very difficult to get an A in his class. He is also intimidating. I was scared of him pretty much my entire time in Cognitive Psych. This was my first class with him. I sat in the front row and held onto every word. I studied really hard. I actually learned a lot. Seriously! I even grew to really respect and appreciate him as a teacher. After that I took as many classes with him as I could. I knew if I took a class with him I would have to work really hard, and therefore learn a lot!

I am so glad I did! ALL day today I kept thinking of him and all that I had learned from him. What was a bunch of confusing new information to a lot of my peers at work was an easy review for me. I was able to easily understand why clients act a certain way and why specific treatment methods work better than others. I am so excited about starting this new job. I am so thankful for all that I learned from Dr. Z. He is truly responsible for making my job easier!

Thank you Dr. Z. for making me work really hard in college! Thank you for preparing me for a job in psychology! Thank you for not letting your students take the easy way out or even simply memorize answers for a test! I had to actually learn the information to pass your classes and that information has now given me an advantage at my job. I miss having you as a professor! Thanks again for everything you challenged me to do.

Sincerely,
Mary Beth

Day 31: Aunt Gaye

I love my aunt Gaye. She is my mother's oldest sister. She lives just outside of Atlanta, not too far from my family. I love how close she and I have gotten since we moved to Atlanta 9 years ago. 

Gaye is the one of the most grace filled women I have ever met. I have never seen her raise her voice. I have never seen her act out in anger. I have never heard her say a cross word about anyone. She is so kind. 

My aunt has faced so many difficult things in life, but she has handled them all with grace. I know that she would be the first to admit that the grace she has comes directly from the Lord. She has a strong faith in God. It is so much stronger than most people's faith. 

I love hanging out with Aunt Gaye. She is such a great listener. I love to talk with her about life. She gives great advice and insight! She has great style and always has the most fabulous hair cuts! Every time I see her her hair is different! I always love it! 

Aunt Gaye has always been there for me and my family. No matter what difficulty she was facing, she put it aside and was there for us. She helped us so much when my parents got divorced. She called all the time and visited my mom often. She also kept in touch with me about how things were going at home when I was far away at school. I can never thank her enough for that. 

Gaye is a great mom. She loves, loves, loves her kids. She is always there for them whether it's helping them decorate their homes, going to doctor's appointments, traveling together, or just loving them. She is an awesome mother. She is also a fabulous grandmother! She is just so much fun! 

I get to see my whole family in 2 weeks over Christmas! I can't wait! I have not seen most of them since our wedding! I look forward to catching up with aunt Gaye especially. 

Gaye,

I love you so much! I am so proud to call you my aunt. You have always been there for me and my family. I respect you immensely. I look up to you. You are an incredible woman with amazing faith. I can't wait to see you over Christmas!! I love you!!

Mary Beth

This is a picture of my beautiful Aunt Gaye with her hubby Rick and 2 of their wonderful grand-kids!

Day 30: Sarah Riewerts

Sarah is my beautiful cousin. She and I grew up together and share so many wonderful memories from our childhood!

She is three years older than me so when we were growing up she was the "cool older cousin" who I wanted to be just like! I loved when our families would go on trips to Branson together or spend Christmas Eve at Nanny's house!

Here are my favorite childhood memories with Sarah:

1. Crushing on JTT (Jonathan Taylor Thomas for those of you who are out of the loop) like it was our job. We LOVED JTT. We watched every one of his movies, read all of the Bop and Tiger Beat magazines with him on the cover, and had posters of him adorning our walls. We were convinced that one of us was going to marry him. She got closer, she actually married a guy named John, so I guess she won!

2. We loved Mariah Carey. We would always share her CDs. We thought her music was pretty cool. I still love old Mariah Carey music.

3. Christmas Eve at Nanny's. When we were little we would always beg our parents to let us unwrap our presents pretty much as soon as we got there. There were many years where she and I got matching Christmas pajamas, or clothes, which of course was REALLY cool in my mind. We would watch the weather radar on the News to see where Santa was so we would know when we had to be in bed. We would go outside and look for Santa and his reindeer flying. We were pretty convinced that the nearby airport tower (that was home to a red blinking light) was in fact, Rudolph leading the team to Conway. We were big Santa fans. We always called each other on Christmas morning to compare gifts.

4. I remember one time she came over to my grandma Ba's house to play with me. She and I pretended like we were at college and lived in the same dorm room and were roommates. I think we were like 7 and 10 then, somewhere around those ages. We thought we were pretty cool. I don't know why I specifically remember this play day, but it is a very fond memory!

I wish we still lived close to each other. I think we would have had many more fun memories together! Especially now since we are both around the same stages of life again! We are both young and married, and she has an adorable little girl Karson, and eventually Drew and I want kids! It would be so fun if our kids could have grown up together like we did! I am so thankful for our relationship!

Sarah-

Thank you for being the "cool older cousin" in my life! You are incredibly beautiful and kind! I loved growing up with you! I always had so much fun when we played together! I think you are such a great mom and Karson is a very blessed little girl to have you and John as parents! I wish Drew and I lived closer so we could all hang out together! I love you all and hope to see you soon! If you ever want to come up to Carbondale, (although I don't quite know what the tourist attraction would be since Conway is bigger and more exciting) you are more than welcome in our home!! We love company!

Love you!

Mary Beth

This is Sarah and Karson! Beautiful Girls! 

Day 29: Cheyanne Lent

You want some encouragement? Go to this girl Cheyanne Lent.

Cheyanne is the most encouraging, uplifting, sweet, joyful person I have ever met in my entire life. Truthfully, not one of those adjectives describing her is exaggerated. She is by far one of the nicest people on the earth.

I met Cheyanne during my freshman first semester. She lived in the same hall as me and was one of the only girls who was actually friendly to my roommates and me. She went out of her way to stop by and say hello. She always goes a step beyond people's expectations. I don't know how she does it. Well, actually I do. She gets her joy from the Lord which is incredibly evident in her life.

Cheyanne actually went to high school with Drew. When I found this out, (before Drew and I were dating) I began drilling Cheyanne on "high school Drew". I wanted details!

Cheyanne is an inspiration to me. She is open and honest about her struggles in life, yet she charges at them full steam ahead! She is a motivational diva. She has a blog where she writes about body image, her goals, plans for the future, etc, and I LOVE READING IT. She motivates me to get healthier and get into better shape. I wish we lived closer because I would ask her to be my workout buddy. If you are interested in reading her blog (if you are a girl and have ever struggled with body image YOU SHOULD) it is: http://therealcheyanne.blogspot.com She is so real and a great writer.

Cheyanne and I were never really very close, but she has impacted my life. I think of her often! She is a role model and an inspiration to me!

Cheyanne-

Girl thank you for being YOU!! You are beautiful and your life is a testament to God's goodness. You are an inspiration to me in so many ways. I think you are one of the strongest women out there! You are a blessing to so many and I can't wait to see your success in life! Keep writing! Keep claiming God's Truth, keep being you! I am so glad I met you and got to know you even if on a surface level. I appreciate you! Thanks for your influence in my life and in the world!! YOU ROCK SISTER!

Sincerely,

Mary Beth

Yes, this is a picture of Chey and Tim Tebow. I love it! 

Day 28: Marianne Haaland

Marianne is the coolest Norwegian friend I have! Technically, she is the only Norwegian friend I have, but that does not cancel her coolness. She is lovely, talented, kind, and so dear to me.

We met in our theatre class in college. She was intriguing to me! Blonde, beautiful, young, married, and Norwegian. I wanted to know about her. Who was she? Who was her husband? How long had she lived in America? Eventually she and I became great friends and I got all of the questions answered!

I love Marianne. Drew and I have had some amazing double-dates with she and her hubby Christen. We have such a blast with them!! We love to play board games with the Haalands. Normally Christen dominates at Monopoly, but I try really hard not to hold that against them!

Marianne is an aspiring actress. Well, not really aspiring, she is an actress. She has been in tons of Florida productions, even a show that toured and played at the Hard Rock called Girl's Night! It was always such a blast going to see her shows! She is truly talented and I can't wait to say "I knew her when...." someday when she is rich and famous! (Remember me when you are rich and famous and take me on luxurious vacations with you, okay?).

I love hanging out with Marianne. Often we would get together and go see a movie or go shopping. We love having our girl talk and she was so helpful to me with all my "pre-wedding" questions since she was married. I miss this girl so very much!

Marianne also has a huge heart and a broad worldview. She has lived in many different countries including, Madagascar, Norway, England, and America and it has made her very culturally aware. She loves the Lord and is committed to glorifying Him through all of her actions. I think it is so beneficial for Christians to have cultural knowledge. So many Americans are not educated in the way that Marianne is. I try to learn what I can from her about other countries and their perspectives. It is important that we acknowledge others. It is so easy for us Americans to only think of our own country. That is one of the biggest lessons Marianne has taught me.

Marianne,

I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!! We need to have a phone date very soon! I wish I could have seen Project Christmas! I always loved watching you in that. I miss seeing you frequently and wish so badly we lived just down the street from each other! Or even in the same town! Thank you for everything you have taught me! Thank you for all of the prayers you have prayed for me. Thank you for being my friend. I appreciate your friendship so much! I love you and I miss you terribly!

MB

Day 27: Richter van Vuuren "Hot Chocolate"

Meet Richter: (the one on the right)

(This is Drew and Richter at Cary and Kira's Wedding! )

Richter was introduced to Drew via Mr. Cary Parfitt and was Drew's roommate last year. Richter is pretty awesome, in case you did not know. Today was his birthday! Happy Birthday Richter. He also became an American citizen today! Congratulations! Big day for you Richter!

Richter is from South Africa. I think that is pretty awesome. I love to listen to him talk because I think his accent is really cool. However, I can only understand 1/3 of what he says because of his accent. Drew speaks "Richter" though, so he translates for me.

I feel like Richter was my unofficial other roommate too last year. I lived next door to Richter, Drew, and Cary with 2 other girlfriends of mine. I hung out a lot at the boy's casa though because they had heat, a dishwasher, and a sweet TV. Do you blame me?

We used to have roommate dinner nights. And by that, I mean that I would cook, then Richter, Drew and I would all sit on the couch, eat, and watch Lost or Earth. Drew and I miss Richter pretty much anytime we eat dinner on the couch. I normally put my head on Drew's shoulder and make a squeaky, girly, whine and say "I miss Richter.....". And I do. We do. We miss Richter.

I have offered our spare bedroom to Richter for half the price of whatever Cary is charging him for the cottage (aka Crystal Palace), but for some reason Carbondale is not high on his list of places to move. Don't quite know why....hmmm?

Richter is a N.I.T. which of course stands for Nurse in Training. He is graduating college in May, I think, with a degree in nursing. I took it upon myself to make sure Richter had plenty of practice in patient care, as I regarded him as my personal nurse/doctor/webMD. I tend to be a bit clumsy and a bit of a hypochondriac, so it came in handy having a nurse next door. I consulted him nearly 3-5 times a week regarding injuries, illness, infections, diseases, medications, etc. He always gave me great care and I am still alive, so hey! Richter is a great nurse! Seriously, that was one of the first things I missed when we moved to C-dale. I hurt my wrist and not only did Drew not have a clue what was wrong with it, but he also did not treat my very nicely. Richter always treats his patients with utmost care. Except for the one time he told me I needed to amputate my arm because of a hangnail....

Richter is a super nice guy. He is friendly, smart, kind, hysterical, and most importantly loves him some Jesus! Ladies, this is your cue to take me up on the Richter offer. I am telling you! This one is a keeper!

Oh yes, perhaps you are wondering why it says "Hot Chocolate" next to Richter's name in the title. "Hot Chocolate" is a nickname I gave to Richter sometime last year in regard to his skin coloring I think and probably because the chicks dig him!...Anyway, it stuck. He was, is, and shall forever be "Hot Chocolate" to me. I even yelled it across campus one day when he was talking to some lady friends.... I feel like he and I almost had an obnoxious brother/sister relationship. We liked to pick on each other in good fun.

Oh! Also, Richter has these great sayings! I am not sure if they are specific to Richter or if it is a South African thing, but he will yell out exclamations such as "Guacomole and Sun Chips" if he is frustrated, angry, sad, happy, or confused. I miss the Richter-isms.

Richter,

Drew and I miss you so much! You best come visit! We are working on planning a trip down south too. I miss our TV Dinners and religiously watching SNL with you. Good times buddy! I can't wait to see where you end up! If it is anywhere remotely near where we live I will be your #1 patient. Or, if you need a receptionist, I am always looking for new employment opportunities! ha ha. We hope to see you very soon! Happy Birthday friend! And Welcome to America!

MB

Day 26: Jenny Schartner

I could not thank Jenny enough if I tried. She is the amazing and gracious photographer who took our wedding pictures.

This is an example of how wonderful her photography is:

When I say she took our wedding pictures, I really mean that she gave us our wedding pictures. Last year Jenny hosted a competition for FREE wedding photography. She asked for nominations on her website and then chose two couples for people to vote on. We were nominated by several friends and picked as one of the couples for the contest. Jenny published our "story" on her website and then we waited (not very patiently) for the results.  We ended up winning the contest and Jenny gave us FREE WEDDING PHOTOGRAHPY!!

FREE!! Can you believe it? I don't know if any of you have gotten married recently, but good wedding photography is really expensive these days. With the financial situation our families were in we knew we would be unable to afford a truly great photographer. The Lord blessed us incredibly by bringing Jenny and her competition into our lives. Pictures from your wedding are really the only souvenir you have from your wedding. Pictures are the only thing that capture your memories.

Jenny gave us amazing wedding photos. We will hang these photos in our home forever. These pictures will be treasured by our kids, grandkids, and generations to come. Our family has been so blessed by this gift. Words cannot describe the effect this gift has had on our lives.

Jenny is so much fun! She is super talented, kind, funny, and makes you feel so at ease around the camera. We had a blast taking pictures with her!

There are two things you notice immediately about Jenny. 1) She has a true joy in her heart because of her relationship with Jesus. It is extremely evident in her life. She is a faithful servant to God. 2) She is a great mom and wife. She loves her family so very much. It is so sweet to see her interact with her family. You can tell just from their family pictures that she is a great mom! I think that is awesome. I love that Jenny has her priorities in life so in line. She is a great role model for other Christian women. I respect her  so much.

If you are reading this blog and you or anyone you know needs photography I beg you to loot at Jenny's website: www.youreventscaptured.com
Trust me! You will not regret choosing Jenny as a photographer!


Jenny,

I cannot tell you how you have blessed our lives. You have such a generous heart and I am so very appreciative of it. "Thank you" does not cut it. I will always be touched by your kindness and compassion for others. You are not only a gifted photographer, but you are also a sincere follower of God. It is so evident in your life. Thank you for being a role model for other women. I thank you so much for the gift you have given to us and hope someday I have an opportunity to pay such a blessing forward.

Sincerely,

Mary Beth Darr

This is a picture of Jenny and her beautiful family that I took from her facebook. Do you see what I mean about her being an awesome mom just from the picture???

Day 25: Bobby Banister

Christmas makes me very nostalgic. I have been missing my childhood lately. I can't think about my childhood though with Bobby coming to mind. He pretty much was my childhood.

Meet Bobby Banister: 

We were born 9 days apart and have literally been friends since before we were born. He has always been more like a brother to me than a friend really. I can't think of a memory from my childhood that does not involve him in some capacity. He was my best friend, my partner in crime, and the angel on my right shoulder always reminding me of what was and what was not a good idea.

Here are my favorite memories with him:

1. Attempting to float to Disney World in a cardboard toy box via the creek in his backyard. Okay, we were like 6 years old---don't judge! Also, all creeks lead to rivers, which lead to oceans, yes? And all the oceans are in Florida? Duh. And Disney World is in Florida, so it must be close to an ocean. Yes, this was our thought process. We packed up the toy box with changes of clothes, snacks, and toys to keep us occupied on the journey. We even managed to get the box in the creek, but alas, our journey was short lived because cardboard does not take to water too well. Who knew?

2. Magic Shows. Bobby and I were the world's greatest magicians. Enough said. Seriously though, we were always asking for new magic sets for our shows. We had costumes, a flashing light (younger sibling quickly flipping the light switch on and off repeatedly), and of course theme music! Our theme music was "Mission Impossible" and who is surprised by that? My favorite trick consisted of me hiding in the closet while "magically" being turned into a teddy bear. It was a winner. It is no surprise that we both ended up studying an entertainment art in college! We have always been a bit theatrical.

3. I loved our family vacations together! We went to Disney World, Branson, Gulf Shores, and many other places together. These were always amazing vacations in my opinion because I had my best buddy with me. We could, and did, play 24/7.

4. One time the Banisters came up to our house in Fayetteville to spend the New Years Holidays with us. All of us kids slept in sleeping bags in our living room. At 3 am Bobby and I woke up, put shaving creme mustaches on Hank and Elizabeth, took a picture, wiped it off and then later used the pictures for blackmail purposes. Again, we were probably 11 at the time. This is what I meant when I said partner in crime....

5. My parents were trying to sell our house in the same town as Bobby and we were going to move 3 hours away (which is a lifetime away in youth). Bobby and I schemed of a million different ways to sabotage my house from selling. We finally had a winner: we took off all of the toilet seats from the toilets and hid them right before my parent's showed the house to prospective buyers. Genius! I am not quite sure how we even came up with that or carried it out! But the people who toured it that day did not buy the house. Mission Accomplished.

6. We used to recite the remake of The Parent Trap verbatim. We would take turns playing the different twins and reenact the sword fight scene using the cardboard rod from pant hangers. Oh man. That was a blast. We were 12 around this time. Ha ha ha.

7. Bobby and I had a phone conversation last spring a month or two before I got married. It was one of the best conversations he and I have ever had. It was about a 3 hour long conversation and we talked about everything. We reminisced, we talked about God, family, prayers, relationships, school, marriage, you name it! It was so nice. I miss talking to him like that. I think we are due for a catch up.

8. Like I said, he was constantly the angel on my shoulder telling me what was and was not a good idea...this particular day I told the "angel" to hush! Our parents were preparing for one of their annual massive joint garage sells and Bobby and I were entertaining ourselves by playing in a huge refrigerator box in the garage. We were playing house and I had a brilliant idea to cut holes in the box to make windows....using a butcher knife from the kitchen. No, we were not very well supervised apparently. Well, Bobby said he did not think that was a good idea, and I quickly replied with "please! I know what I am doing" (says the 8 year old holding a knife...). Of course, I nearly sliced my whole thumb off. The bone was sticking out, blood gushing everywhere, it was nasty! Thank goodness my fireman uncle was there to take me to the hospital and stitch me up. Should have listened to Bobby. Boy, those words are still hard to say! :)

9. Bobby sang two songs in my wedding in June. It was such a blessing for me to have him there. It truly was incomplete until he showed up the night before the wedding. I told him that as soon as he arrived I knew that everything was going to be okay and that I could get married now. It was like my childhood and my adulthood were unifying. Weird, I know. But my whole mood changed the second he walked through the door.


Bobby- (Bobtail)

I have so many memories with you. In many ways you are like a journal of my life. You can tell the stories I have lived and that is a very cool thing. You are so dear to me. You are my non-biological brother. I loved growing up with you. I would not change a thing about it. I love reminiscing about all the trouble we used to cause our parents! Your friendship has blessed my life in countless ways. Thank you for always being a friend to me. I love that now, even though we are grown up and don't get to float to Disney World as often as we like, I can still call you and catch up as if a day has not passed. My life would have been very bland without you. You are so kind, your heart is so big, and the Lord has blessed you with great talent! I can't wait to see where life takes you. I hope you always take me along with you! I love you my brother and you have sincerely blessed my life.

MB

This is the typical Banister/Shaw kid picture....We have pictures like this from all phases of life! 

Day 24: Papa

Papa was my grandfather. He passed away when I was 5 years old. I did not get a lot of time with him, but from what I remember he was the best!

Papa gave me my very favorite stuffed animal: Mr. Bear. I got him as a present when I was born. He was a fluffy pink teddy bear. I grew up with Mr. Bear and he got me through everything! I slept with him cuddled in my arms every single night. I still want for Mr. Bear when I am sad. He absorbed so many tears over the years. Now his fur is faded and a little bit matted, but I think that is only a sign of how much he was loved! I wish Papa knew that he gave me my favorite toy ever. I suppose he probably does.

My earliest memory is of him. I remember being on a blanket on the floor in my grandparent's house and rolling over to his feet. I remember him smiling at me and laughing at me. Psychologists say that your first memory, whether it actually occurred or you think it occurred, sets the framework for your perspective on life. I think that is pretty interesting. I love that Papa was my first memory.

Papa was so cool. He was handsome, kind, funny, a great dancer, and very romantic. He and my grandmother got married very young and then he went off to war. He had a really neat role in WWII and I still love looking at all of his pictures and journals. I wish I knew more about his journeys.

Papa holds a very special place in my heart. When I am in Conway I still go to his grave and talk to him. I know that sounds crazy, and no, I don't think he is still there and can hear me, but it helps me. It gives me a place of reference. Sometimes he shows up in my dreams. I love it when that happens. I think it is a blessing when I have those dreams. I know Papa is in Heaven, but I sure wish I could have spent more time with him on earth. His legacy lives though. My brother is his namesake Ross Hanks Shaw and I will probably use the name Ross somewhere in my future children too. I love that name, More specifically, I love who it belonged to.

Love,
Mary Beth

This is a picture of my grandparents dancing with me in between them. I think I was around 2 1/2 or 3 years old here...

Day 23: Meghan Fitzmartin

Meghan is a dear friend to Drew and Me. She has been a friend of Drew's for the past 8 years or so. It is because of their friendship that I am blessed with her friendship!

Meghan is an awesome girl. She has more personality in her pinky than most people will ever have or encounter in their entire lives. She is spunky. She is fun. She is spontaneous. She is kind. She is thoughtful. These are of course just a smattering of all the reasons why we love Meghan.

The past two days we received 2 Christmas cards from Meghan and the most unique Christmas gift we have ever been given. It is seriously cool. She sent us a copy of Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham". At first when we opened the package we were a little bit confused. We looked at each other and sort of laughed. Then we read the card. Meghan decided that she was going to start a little tradition of giving us a new book each year for our future children. Then she went on to say that since she knows that is probably a while away, when the kid finally arrives he/she will have a great collection! I thought that was so cool. I really liked that idea and it was so thoughtful and creative! We wrote "To the 1st Darr child from Meghan Fitzmartin, December 2010" on the inside cover. It was a sentimental moment. It was pretty cool and the first present we have ever received for our child.

Meghan is such a joy to be around. She is so positive and funny. I get so energized by being around her. Whenever Drew would have a theatre performance in college she would come down and stay with me for a day or two. We would stay up until 3 or 4 am just talking. It was so nice to have her friendship. It was a connection to Drew's past and new friend for me! We got along great and have always had a lot in common. I am so glad she is so mellow and just plain nice. So many girls get all "high school drama" when someone starts dating their best guy friend. Meghan never did that. Not once. She is great.

Meghan has a great relationship with the Lord. He is the number 1 passion in her life and that is incredibly obvious. She is a prayer warrior and a woman of faith. I love that about her.

Meghan,

You are so beautiful inside and out. Drew and I are so thankful for your friendship. I am beyond thankful for your friendship to Drew during his high school years. You taught him well! He knows how to treat a lady, which is no doubt in part to you! I am so blessed by knowing you! I only wish we got to see each other more often! You are so sweet and so thoughtful. You are appreciated. I love your personality and how original you are. You truly are one of a kind. Thank you for being so nice to me and making me feel welcome into your life! That meant so much to me.

Love,

Mary

This is a picture from the very first day I met Meghan. She is on the far right next to Drew! 

Day 22: Reagan Bowles

This is a super fun post to write because Reagan is not even old enough to read it yet! Reagan is my cousin Jessica's baby. Reference an older post about Jessica Bowles. Jess is the closest person I have to a sister, so of course, I call Reagan my niece. Or "niche" if you want to get specific. (Long story).

Reagan is around 14 months old. She is a princess-diva. Seriously, this girl has some major 'tude! But it only makes sense knowing her mama and her "auntie".

When Jessica called and told me she was pregnant I got so excited that my knees gave out, I fell to the floor and started crying. (Yes, I am a bit dramatic sometimes). I WAS SO EXCITED. I could not wait. I knew from that moment that Jess was having a girl. I don't know why I knew this, but it just seemed right. When Jessica called to confirm my suspicion I was even more excited. My mom and I instantly started shopping for baby clothes. I was nervous though...I did not really understand or like babies and they did not really understand or like me either. Would this little girl like me? Would I like her? It was very stressful and perplexing to me.

I remember the day she was born. I got a text message with a picture at work and of course, started crying. I was working at a gym then so literally every single person I checked in I showed the picture of Reagan to! I was so happy! I just could not wait to talk to Jess & Scott and hear all about this beautiful baby. Again, I have never  personally been excited about a baby being born until now. I don't think I was really old enough before this point to "get it".

Drew and I got to meet her Halloween weekend last year when she was just a few weeks old. She was tiny. Tiny, tiny, tiny. She was so much smaller than I was even when I was born! She had this thick black hair and these perfect little fingers. She was beautiful. I thought she was so fragile though. It took me 3 days before I would even hold her. I was so nervous. She was also a very unhappy baby at this point because she had horrible reflux that made her very uncomfortable. It made everybody very uncomfortable actually with all of the screaming. It was wonderful birth control for Drew and me!

Since that time Reagan and I have bonded. I have been able to spend lots of time with her over the past year. I saw them over Christmas last year. I made a trip to SC to see them before our wedding. I saw them during the week of the wedding. A few weeks after the wedding. Etc. It is so crazy to me how much she changes even just from one week to the next! She grows and develops and it is really cool!

Reagan is walking now. She is actually running around like a little monkey! She is funny and talks a little bit and laughs a lot! She loves cell phones, shoes, and purses (a girl after my own heart)! She also loves a good bath! It is so adorable.

It is so interesting to me how I can love this little girl so much, yet not really know her yet. Does that make sense? I mean, we have never had a heart-to-heart. I don't know what she wants to do with her life, I don't know what she believes, but I do know that she is glorious and has God's thumbprint all over her. I miss her. I love seeing her. I love getting pictures of her.  A few weeks ago Jess sent me a "drawing" Reagan did for me. It was great! I put it on my refrigerator!

Reagan,

I know you can't read this yet, but someday when you can, I hope you know that you have been loved since before you were born. You are beautiful. You are hysterical. You are smart! I love playing with you and getting to spend time with you and your mommy and daddy. I think you are the coolest little girl ever. I can't wait to see you again. Come see me in Carbondale! I will spoil you! (Not like you are not already spoiled!). I pray that you grow up loving the Lord and pursue after Him all the days of your precious life. I am so blessed by you sweet little girl! I love you very much!

"Auntie" MB

This is a picture of us at my Bridesmaid's Brunch. She was an honorary Bridesmaid of course! ;)

Day 21: Alexa Felice

Alexa Felice is one of my favorite people. She is my brother's wonderful girlfriend, but I also count her as one of my friends. She and I really do go very far back! I knew her when she was in middle school. We both went to the same private school and I even assistant directed the middle school play she was in. Truth be told I really liked her back then! I thought she was one of the sweetest, kindest, prettiest, and most talented girls. I can't imagine anyone not liking this girl because she is truly one of the nicest people I have every met.

Alexa has a lot of things going for her, but her faith and commitment to the Lord are by far her best characteristics. It is obvious that she loves God because of her life. She lives in a way that makes her stand out from the world and people can't help but see Jesus in her. She helps others, teaches Sunday School classes, goes on mission trips, but honestly lives a witnessing life everyday. I have learned a lot from her example. She is a Godly woman.

Alexa is so smart. She excelled in high school and will do the same in college I am sure. Despite her academic excellence,  she is incredibly humble. She is currently studying psychology at UGA (which I, a former psych major, am thrilled about) and will be very successful no matter what she ends up doing someday. Although I must say, she is such a tender hearted person and a good listener I think she would make an outstanding counselor!

Alexa is lots of fun! Seriously, she has an AWESOME sense of humor. I love hanging out with her! Drew and I always enjoy double dating with Hank and Alexa. We had such a blast all going to Arkansas  together. I can't wait to see her over Christmas.

Alexa has amazing style. She always looks so cute and has the cutest clothes! She bought me a purse for my birthday that is my favorite purse ever. I carry it everywhere. It is adorable!

She was such a huge help during our wedding. This girl ironed table cloths, covered strawberries in chocolate, helped set-up and decorate, for serious! We could not have done it without her help. She has such a generous spirit.

Alexa,

I think you are just delightful. I enjoy your company so much and truly value you. I am so happy that you and Hank are dating. You are a wonderful girl with such Godly qualities. I am so encouraged by the life that you live. Thank you for being an intelligent, kind, faithful woman. You are a great example for so many girls at UGA. I am proud to be your friend! Thank you for being a great friend to our family. We love you and the rest of the Felice family so much! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

MB

This is a picture of Alexa, Hank, Drew, & Me from Christmas Last Year

Day 20: Barbara Baker! Where is she???

Barbara Baker has been on my mind a lot lately. Perhaps it is because my tree, "Barb" (Barbara's namesake) has recently birthed 5 new branches. I refer to them as her babies and Drew denies that he even knows me. Who is surprised by either one of those facts? Anyhoo....

Barbara Baker. Lovely. Talented. Beautiful.

Barb and I go way back. By way back I of course mean back to our freshman year and freshman dorm at PBA. Ahh the good ol' Baxter days. One of my very first memories with her was when she invited me to watch the notebook with her and some other girls because I had never seen it. I bawled like a baby and understood why she insisted so fervently that I see the movie! Good flick! Regardless, I think this was the first night Barb and I became friends.

Barbara and I have so many fun memories together! We were in acting class together, Freshman Showcase, ALICE, we were neighbors (and she was often our "extra" roommate), we went to church together often, and had lots of fun parties!

One of my favorite memories of Barbara was when I lived in Baxter 206 with Megan and Shick (different semester for each girl). My roomie and I would open the locked door to our room and to our surprise find Barb watching a movie and eating popcorn in our room. It has never ceased to amaze me how Barb got into our room. I often asked if she had a key or something? No key. Just skills. Maybe a little witchcraftery or something....I don't really know! :)

Barb also liked to take naps in my bed when I was not around. I would often come home and find her curled up in my bed like a kitty cat. Because of this I started referring to Barb as my kitty cat. (She does a great cat impression by the way).

Speaking of impressions! Everybody remember the bull dog from Lady and the Tramp? This guy:

Barb does the most amazing impression of him I have ever seen and could ever imagine. No joke. She gets completely into it! She throws her arms into and scrunches up her face. It is GLORIOUS. I could close my eyes and swear to you it was a clip of him from the movie. You wanna talk about talent? This girl has it.

Barbara is a sweet friend who really cares about others. She is wonderfully artistic and talented. She is a blast to hang out with and always keeps me laughing. She is an old soul I think. She has a nature about her that makes me think back a few decades to a simpler time. I think that is really cool. I am incredibly interested about where Barb is going in the future! I am very excited about where her talents will land her! She will no doubt be very successful.

Barbara-

I miss you so much! I am so excited for your upcoming college graduation! I so wish I was going to be there to celebrate with you! I can't wait to see where you are going and what you will be doing with your life!  God has amazing plans for you and He has obviously blessed you with generous talents and a kind heart. You will be successful wherever you go. It has been such a pleasure to get to know you over the years and watch you grow and blossom into a beautiful, confident woman. I am blessed to be your friend and to know you.

All my love!

MB

This is a picture of Barbara and me in London a few years back....

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