Allergy season is upon us! I have never experienced allergies before moving here. It’s terrible, I just took some mucinex and I’m fixing to hit the hay. We had a pretty good weekend. Friday night we had a date night! The rest of the weekend we just relaxed and took it easy because Terence had a lot of reading to do. Hope everyone is having a good week!

I wanted to write about what my Nannie told us about my Papa before he died. It’s really neat and I think it will just touch your heart.

Several years ago Nannie and Papa had a man start coming to their church, I remember him vaguely because he was very unkept and shaggy looking. He was a drug addict and really heavy into drugs. Then one Sunday I remember coming back and seeing this man, only he had changed…he was clean shaven and looked like a totally different person. God had delivered him from his habit and he started attending church with his wife and kids. This lasted a while, then one by one they all quit attending church. As it turns out he’d gotten back into drugs and been arrested and he was in prison now………

When Papa had his heart attack a couple months ago he was rushed to the hospital. When he recovered he couldn’t move much or talk very well. He was in a lot of pain.

He said to Nannie “why didn’t God just take me to heaven already?” He was very discouraged.

Nannie said “Coleman, I believe God left you here for a reason and you’ll just have to wait and see what that is!”

Well, Papa continued to get worse and was in such bad pain. We knew it wouldn’t be too long before the Lord decided to call him home to Heaven. Papa wanted to go back to the farm. They took him home in an ambulance and he lived the rest of his days on a hospital bed next to a window overlooking the mountains. Nannie hired a couple of nurses aides to help her out with Papa. And who do you think was one of the nurses aides? It was the drug addicts wife and they hadn’t see her in years since she’d left the church. Nannie said Papa testified to her and told her he really wanted to see her in church and that the church still loved them and she need God to get her life back in order. Nannie said she started crying and it really touched her heart. She also told her husband in prison about Papa and what he said and it touched him too. She also came back to church, the church they left so long ago…..and they did still love her. Because of all this her life and her children’s lives may forever be changed.

All because of the circumstances surrounding Papa’s cancer and his death. Even in his last days he was an inspiration to someone and that is just how God can use you!!! I loved this story when she told us about it and I’m so proud of my Papa. He was an older man when he was saved and Terence and I were very fortunate to see him baptized a few years ago. It’s amazing to see God’s work in ways we would never have thought! Isn’t our God awesome???!!! We should wake up every day thinking “how can God use me today?” And He will and He does.

Terence has taken up Grad school from the ground running. He wakes up early and stays up late. It’s exhausting and I can see it. I have faith that God will get him through this and he’ll do very well. I just feel like we hardly ever get to see each other these days and find myself counting down the days until when I can go home to AR again. Is that wrong? I mean I like it here, it’s just not the same and I really don’t have any friends here.

On another note….so glad tomorrow is Friday. I’ve been sooooo bad this week and I’ve had a Starbucks EVERY SINGLE DAY this week! I may need to enquire about a Starbucks anonymous meeting sometime, because this is getting out of control.

Well, I guess you figured out from the pictures before that I am now brunette. And no, I don’t feel smarter….my Dad asked if I did.

So I’m trying to figure out things that go with my new hair. Terence said I should get some new makup for fall that goes with my hair and I did! Those are the eyeshadow colors I chose. Aren’t they pretty?

Mom also took us shopping when we were home and got some things for fall….I’m thinking jewel tones? Blues and greens. Where did the fall weather go that was here last week by the way? I mean it was in the 60’s and 70’s and now it’s back up to the 90’s! Fall please come back I beg you!!! I long to wear my sweaters, scarves, and jackets, drink my Godiva hot chocolate and Starbucks eggnog lattes…so please come back to me!

Mom also got us some Aromatique stuff. Bonnie and I love the cinnamon cider smell. It’s the perfect smell for fall! I’ve certainly been enjoying my diffuser.

Also when I got home Bonnie had sent me a package in the mail with this cute top, earrings, nail polish, and some pens from where SHE works. The sunglass case she gave to me at the airport. We had so much fun together it was so sad to say goodbye 🙁 We love sending eachother little packages because ya know it just brightens your week up a little bit! I miss you already sister and I love you! Come see me soon 🙂

Papa’s funeral was just what he would have wanted. A LOT of people came to honor him. It was very very sad, and we’ll miss him with all our hearts, but glad he is no longer in so much pain. It was a beautiful day and I’ll remember it always. We love you Papa, you are the best Grandpa in the entire world and nobody can ever replace you!

Papa’s grave

Me and Bonnie at the Dallas airport getting ready to go home. Dad set our flights up so hers and mine connected and we flew into Little Rock together.

Me and Lindsey on our way to the visitation Tuesday night…so many people came! Papa was so loved!

Here is the whole family…almost everyone!

Nannie picking me some tomaters to take home. They are the best!

Papa’s three girls wearing some of his many hats.

We lost our precious Papa early this morning. We know he is in Heaven with the Lord now and has no more pain. Please pray for my family and my Nannie that she’ll be comforted in the sad time.

This weekend I went to a women’s retreat with Redeemer Church. It was a lot of fun, the hotel was very nice and it was so great to get out and talk to other Christian women and meet lots of new faces! Carolyn McCulley was the speaker and she did an excellent job! She has written several books on radical womanhood and you can check out her blog here. We’ve also had some pretty windy and rainy weather this weekend due to the hurricane. It hasn’t been nearly as bad as I expected it would be though! Hope everyone’s weekend is going good…..enjoy the pics below.