Summer summed up

Ok, so due to the fact that I am with child and have been essentially sick to my stomach for the past two months, our summer has been the epitome of 'low-key'. We did, however, manage to squeeze in a few highlights and make a few memories.
This is a pic. of Libby and Jordyn. Jordyn is the daughter of my very best high school friend, Jennifer. They had a great time playing together...until it was time to share the one pair of dress-up shoes, but what girl wouldn't argue for a good pair of glitter shoes, right?

It was literally imperative that Libby take swimming lessons this summer. Why is that, you ask? Well, in case you've never had the pleasure of meeting Libby, she is fearless. By this I mean she will run and jump into a pool, knowing good and well that she can't swim yet but arguing with you that she can swim just fine. So, it was either give the child swimming lessons, avoid the pool entirely, or super glue floaties to her little arms. Once she realized that maybe she wasn't the swim champ she thought she was, she did great and learned a whole lot during her swimming lessons....oh, and she LOVED being in the pool so much.

This is Janelle. She was my saving grace when I taught at Southaven Middle and is one of the truest most genuine friends I've ever been blessed to have. We went to see 'Wicked' together in Memphis and had THE BEST TIME. If you haven't seen it, you should consider it. It was truly amazing. I've seen several shows, but nothing has compared with this. I'm currently reading the book....it's a bit slow to start and rather unusual, but I'm staying hopeful. I'll let you know how it turns out when I finish it.

And let us not overlook the glorious cat bathing experience. This is Libby's cat, Sally the Camel Has Four Humps. Yes, you read that correctly. Seriously, what DID you expect Lib's cat to be named? Needless to say, we enjoyed the expression on her face much more than she enjoyed the bath.

I can't believe this summer has so quickly come to an end. I start my new teaching job on Monday, making today my official last day of summer. Bummer, bummer, bummer.

One of my favorite things...

So, as many of you know, my grandmother has been in the hospital this week. She had surgery last Friday and then again last Sunday to remove some blood clots from her leg. Well, from Friday to Monday I was there to help in whatever way I could and to offer support to my mom while she takes care of my grandmother. Well, in case you have never had the hospital stay experience, it can be quite dull. So, I did what any good English teacher would do- I read...and I read...and I read. I love to read, but it's so hard to find books these days that aren't filled with worldly views and bad morals. That's why I'm thankful for these books. They're by a Christian author named Karen Kingsbury. She's written a ton of different things- some children's books, a few series stories, and some novels. I've read about ten of her books, and I'm currently suffering from an addiction to the Redemption series...it's about the Baxter family, whom I've come to feel like I know personally. They are by no means literary masterpieces, but they are good, sweet, easy reads. They kind of remind me of Nicholas Sparks books, except her characters make good, Godly decisions consistently....not always the case with ole' Mr. Sparks. So, if you're looking for a quick pick-me-up, give them a shot. They work for me. :)

My, how they grow!

While Lee and I were in Louisiana last week, we made the trek almost to Texas to see the precious LeBlanc babies. Mary Louise and David are both doing so well, and I can't believe how they've grown! They are both over two pounds these days and both are officially breathing on their own! Don't believe in the power of prayer? Well, you should. We had a wonderful visit with Heather and Brent (the proud parents). If you want to know more about their story, you can visit them at their blog site. Please keep the prayers headed their way!

Home sweet home

This past weekend, Lee, Lib, and I visited my cousin and her family in Lousiana. We had a great visit, the kids played well together, and the weather was beautiful. However, it did make me a little homesick. In fact, the thing I miss the most about living there is this:

Howdy, cowgirl!

Here are some long overdue pictures from Lib's end of school program. She was quite a little hoot and did a great job.

Surprise, surprise, surprise

So, I am a firm believer in the idea that if God doesn't give you want you want, He will give you something better. Well, that's definetly the case at the Aldridge house these days. As you may know, Lee and I have been asked approximately 900 times if and when we are having more children. Well, to be quite honest, we are perfectly content with our one. Libby is plenty to keep us busy. We have toyed with the idea of adoption but are really just happy having our one little girl. Again, God obviously has other plans. So, we're pregnant. Surprised? We certainly are. I've thought long and hard about it though, and I've come to the conclusion that God knew good and well that if He'd waited for the day that Lee and I prayed to have a second child, He'd be waiting for quite a while. So, here we are. While the idea has taken some getting used to, I can't say that we are anything but thankful. Fortunately, I learned a long time ago that God's plans are always way better than anything I can come up with, so how can I not be excited? I will, however, be more excited when the non-stop morning sickness marathon is over. Baby Aldridge will be here sometime around January 9th, according to the doctor. But I'm thinking more like mid-December. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Libby is thrilled. She's set on the idea of naming the baby Corn on the Cobb. Yes, you read correctly. She likes it because, according to Libby, it will be a great name for a boy OR a girl. Nice, right?

That one little thing....

Ok, so starting very early in life, girls start to compare themselves to other girls. They start to notice things like another girl's cute dress or her pretty bracelet or her cute pink toenails. I've already noticed this trend amongst my four-year-old and her little friends at 'school'. In fact, it's for this very reason that I was almost late to work not once but twice last week-- Libby just HAD to find her pink 'diamond' necklace before we could possibly leave the house.

Well, in the midst of comparing ourselves to others, we start to realize there are things we just don't LOVE about ourselves. In fact, I believe that as the time passes, many girls will come to focus on that one little thing they dislike the MOST about how they were made. For me, this is.....no, not my height. I've come to accept the fact that God wanted me to be short, and I am completely fine with the fact that I'm three inches shy of needing a booster seat. No, for me the only thing I just simply don't like about myself is my hair. Stuck somewhere between straight and curly, it has a mind of its own, and to be completely honest-- we just don't jive. Although my mother tells me time after time how beautiful it is, how much she loves it, etc. (aren't moms always great at that sort of thing?), I think this is somewhat of a grass-is-always greener scenario. You can try to sugarcoat it all you like, but the point is- I'm just not a fan.

Well, I've come to realize in my twenty-nine years that in order to be happy, we have to find ways to work around those bumps in the road. So, in order to settle a peace treaty between the two of us, I've decided to make some lemonade from the rather unpleasant lemons I've been dealt in the hair department. So, for the second time in my life, I donated eight inches of my hair last week to help an adult woman who has lost her hair due to breast cancer. I donated through an organization called Beautiful Lengths, sponsored by Pantene. And this time, I donated with a former student turned friend, which made this lemonade twice as sweet. :)

And the responses I've gotten this time have so closely reflected the ones I got last time.....wasn't it hard to cut off all of you hair? This seems to be the question on everyone's mind. Well, the answer is: no! Not one little bit! In fact, the hard part for me is waiting for my hair to get long enough TO donate. This go round took me about two years of growing to reach the donate mark. The cutting to me is the best part. It feels really good to know that I'm doing something to bring help to someone else, someone who is undoubtedly hurting and suffering. The best part to me is that it's someone I don't know and will probably never meet. I love the idea of helping to make the day of a complete stranger. I also love the fact that one girl's 'junk' can become another girl's 'treasure'.