You've heard me talk about Beth Moore. This was part of her blog post on Sunday and I feel compelled to share it with you.

What a spirit of celebration! I know that Christ is joyful when we take delight in Him- especially on such a special occasion- His Resurrection!

Having the opportunity to work for yourself has some amazing benefits. The down side is that it is much more challenging to separate yourself from the work and simply relax. We spent the entire day Sunday outside- away from cell phones and lap tops. It was AMAZING.

The day started (as all of our days do) with a cup of coffee. I rarely make breakfast, but decided this would be a good occasion for a treat. I made Overnight Blueberry French Toast, a recipe I found and now have pinned on my Pinterest page. It is certainly a keeper and I will be making it again!

We jumped in the car and it was off to Houston's First Baptist Church. I knew it was going to be crowded so we arrived 45 minutes early. This is what I mean when I say crowded...

This is the congregation from one of four services held Sunday.

The message was wonderful, but WOW. The music was the best. Here you can see the 200+ member choir. Below them is a full orchestra. AMAZING!

Great media effects to compliment the music. The verse show here is Romans 8:37-40.

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

AMEN!

And yes... I snuck a camera in church... :)

From there John and I headed a few miles down the road to Memorial Park where we had an 11:30 appointment with a tennis court. I don't know all the rules, and a fly ball isn't uncommon, but we always have a great time!

Then is was time to picnic! We drove back to Sugar Land to Oyster Creek Park. We claimed out a spot under a tree, laid our blanket, unloaded our ice chest and dug in! Our menu would not have been complete without a Quattlebaum family favorite, a Tatum family favorite, something Mexican, an Auburn touch, and a flavored sweet tea!

MENU:
Debby Quattlebaum's Pickled Okra-Ham Rolls
Lynn Tatum's Potato Salad
Mexican Layered Dip
Turkey Wraps (an attempt at duplicating Auburn's Amsterdam Cafe's version)
Razzleberry Tea

It was delicious!!!

The rest of the afternoon consisted of napping in the shade, frizbee throwing, Pandora listening (Van Morrison Station), people watching and just good R&R. It was the perfect day to be outside!

We left about 3:30 so that we could watch the end of the Masters. We weren't ready to go inside- so we watched a live stream from www.Masters.com by the pool at our apartment.

Five years ago, on Easter weekend, John proposed to me in Central Park. It's amazing to see where life has taken us in these years together! We are truly fortunate to have one another and to have such an amazing support system of friends and family. We are blessed!

So we didn’t go around the world- but if you had been a fellow passenger these past couple of weeks, you’d find that our comparison isn’t totally off base.

Here’s the rundown on our 2,089 mile trip:

The journey began 6 a.m., Thursday, March 8 when we pulled out of Sugar Land. Destination Ozark, AL came about 5:30 p.m. and lasted through Sunday. During our time in the wiregrass- we met with a couple of stores and have two new dealers of Tin Roof Cutting Boards. The Flower Shoppe in downtown Ozark and Pure Imagination in Enterprise. Check ‘em out!

Saturday morning John and I joined hundreds gathered in Troy Alabama to run in memory of two precious lives- my classmate Brittany Shepard Pugh and her sweet son Shep. Both were tragically taken from this world  in a car accident a year ago. While the pain of this tragedy lingers, fellow friends and spouses joined with Brittany's family to honor and celebrate their beautiful lives.

Saturday evening, John and I, along with my parents attended the wedding of long time family friend David Smith and his beautiful bride. While I’ve known David my whole life, John quickly found a friend in him at Auburn University. David was a friend of Aubie during his time on the plains and in 2006 John and I were able to share with David and others in an amazing weekend in Orlando to see Aubie chase down yet another National Championship.

Needless to say- this reception would not have been complete without an appearance from Aubie himself!

We had a great time visiting with dear college friends!

Sunday afternoon, John and I headed to my parents condo in Bay Point with our traditional stop for two lotto tickets.

I am sad to report that although I kissed the tickets for good luck, we did not win.

A few days of work in the quiet was good to get in before our journey to Orange Beach with John’s brother, sister-in-law, their sweet daughters (Anslee and Leila) and John’s parents. I was taken back to my childhood as I watched Anslee and her friend pick out fun new sunglasses, get hair wraps and make friendship bracelets.

The next few days consisted of a boys fishing trip, boat rides, great meals and good times!

Entertainment provided by Charmoin's Dad!

A beautiful walk on the beach!

Sounds like the story should end here right? I gotta tell you this is only the half way mark!  As everyone packed up Sunday to prepare for the week ahead, John and I stuck behind. I joined the Junior League of Mobile last year and had one last meeting requirement Tuesday night to complete my first year and officially become a “member.” I can now transfer my membership to other Junior Leagues across the country and I am looking into the Houston chapter. I have been blown away with the Junior League of Mobile and what these women are capable of doing strictly through volunteerism. AMAZING!

I went to my meeting, John ran a few errands and it was off to Opelika at 7:30 Tuesday night.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent working and visiting. We got our third dealer in Opelika, AL at the Gallery on Railroad. Awesome store with such unique pieces. Be sure to stop by if you are in the area!

We were also able to see the new “Railroad Creamery” ice cream shop in downtown Opelika. John’s brother and wife are part owners and looking forward to opening the doors very soon!

Next stop: Birmingham. My sister, Christen is officially Dr. Quattlebaum  and a practicing dentist. I went to her office, had my teeth cleaned and she checked me out. Happy to report- I’ve got healthy teeth!

My brother, his wife and my sister live in Birmingham along with several members of my mom’s side of the family- the Fergusons. My dear Mamaw had a bad fall a couple of months ago breaking her shoulder in three places AND her leg right behind her knee. Talk about a scare! She has been in a rehabilitation center since working her way to recovery.

We all met up to visit her Thursday to help her celebrate her 93rd birthday. Words cannot express my admiration for this woman. She has such a spark for life and a determination to overcome all obstacles.

Mamaw told us of the friends she had made and how everyone in the building was now calling her “Fergie.” It was a joy to see her doing so well after such a horrible fall. As I sat there listening to her go on about her experiences, parties, exercises and new friends, my admiration for my grandmother grew tremendously. She continues to fight the good fight everyday.  My visit with Mamaw was truly inspiring and I can only strive to have her CAN DO mentality in my day to day life.

My mother, Mamaw and me May 30, 2008
John and Emily Ann Rehearsal Dinner

After our visit the five of us “kids” shared a couple of pizzas having the best time. It seems that it is so rare that we get this time together and I soaked in every moment.

The five of us going to Bama Jam Concert 2009

The rest of the weekend consisted of visits with old friends. We celebrating the announcement of a pregnancy, and shared in conversations around upcoming weddings. What a wonderful two weeks!

The bad news is that the radio in my car went out so we had a nice quiet 14 hour drive back to Texas…. that and a speeding ticket really made for an enjoyable afternoon…..

And our car looked like this. Again.

If you think your eyes are playing tricks on you- they're not. That is a vacuum cleaner and a monkey backpack.

We arrived back to apartment 4210 Sunday, March 25 around 7 p.m. Thus marking the end of our Spring journey.

Sometimes I wonder if we are slightly crazy. While we may not be to crazy just yet I'd say there are times we walk the line. If nothing else, it keeps life unpredictable and interesting setting us up for the ride of a lifetime.