my kiddos.

Did I mention how much I love having my own class? Because I absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it DO! I started out with seventeen precious little ones, and as the past two months have progressed, I have slowly worked my way down to twelve. I love having so few kids because I get to spend a lot more one-on-one time with each of them, which allows me to form deeper relationships with each little boy and girl, but it also gives me so many more opportunities to teach them even more.

We've already learned our full names, addresses, and birthdays, and now we're working on our phone numbers. They're so smart, and it makes Miss Anna SO unbelievably proud. :)

One thing is for sure...I'm getting LOTS of practice on how to be a parent. Teesh and I talk about and pray for our future little Bargerons all the time, and that didn't become such a tradition until I got to see firsthand how much children are effected by their moms and dads. We've still got a LONG way to go [no honeymoon babies for this couple! well, we hope...], but I love that we've already begun to plan for our future together as husband and wife, along with mommy and daddy. My heart could just explode!

And speaking of my heart exploding, these precious smiles nearly do it every single day. Just look at those faces!

"You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance."

-Franklin P. Jones

looking into the future.

Random thought for the day:

I can't wait for the day when Teesh and I can go out onto the golf course every evening, walking hand-in-hand as husband and wife.

I love still having something I can watch him do. I miss sitting right behind home plate cheering him on at baseball games, but I sure am glad that there's still time for me to be a golfer's number one fan. It doesn't hurt that he's such a handsome fella to look at, either. :)

my source of strength, my source of hope.

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'” Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened."

-Luke 24:1-12

Thank you, Jesus, for conquering death and saving my soul. May my life always be a light for you and only you.

June 21, 1998

my B. Davis...

...is getting MARRIED! In less than a month! YAY!

I got to see her for the first time in over two months today, and it was FABULOUS! She had her final shower, and I was so excited to get to be a part of it. She was stunningly beautiful, as she always is, and she got SO much cute stuff for her soon-to-be home with Jacob!

I couldn't be more excited for my B. Davis if I tried with all my might! Hurry up, May 15th...we've been waiting on you for quite some time now. :)

the reunion of the year.

The older the friend, the better the friend. That's what I've always heard, anyways. And if that's the case, then I guess Ellen is just about as good as they come. Best friends since second grade is pretty incredible, don't you think? Thirteen years. Whew, I'm just glad she's kept me around this long!

We usually meet for lunch/dinner every few weeks at Pete's on Augusta [traditions are so fun!], but we've been SERIOUSLY deprived for the last three months. On January 10th, she left American soil to become a Spaniard for a while. On April 16th, she reluctantly returned to us, after living a fairytale-esque life for just long enough to make her want it forever. And today, she had her first outing since coming home. Yepp, that means that our tradition is alive, yet again. YAY!

Speaking of traditions, I can't count the number of pictures we have taken that look just like this one, with the only difference being wardrobe changes. As many pictures as we have like this, I can assure you that we'll never have enough.

Ellybeth, words can't express how GREAT it feels to have you home! Thank you for letting me [and my kiddies, who can't understand why you don't live in Spain anymore, by the way] live the past three months vicariously through you. :o)

I love you, best friend.

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."

Elisabeth Foley

so proud.

One of my best friends in the whole world and my accountability partner received the most wonderful news today. After months of going through the application process for an internship with the Chick-fil-a Bowl event planning staff, she got a phone call TODAY saying that...SHE GOT IT! [insert inappropriately loud hootin' and hollerin' here, please].

Lucky for me, it fell on a Wednesday, which just so happens to be our date night every week. Flowers and Outback and a whoooooole lot of celebrating took place on Wednesday evening, all in honor of my sweet, sweet Caitlin Sarah Davidson! I mean, SERIOUSLY, interning with the CHICK-FIL-A BOWL? Big. Timer.  I guess now would be the time to start picking friends who aren't so awesome, so I can pat myself on the back every once in a while. ;) Totally joking...I wouldn't trade/give up my friends for ANYTHING on the face of the planet. Sorry, but my friends are already taken and labeled as "the greatest ever." :)

Isn't she beautiful?

"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other." 

Douglas Everett

cara danielle.

All babies are miracles, there is no denying that. There is no other way to describe how a being is birthed from another being--it's just one of those mind-boggling things that only makes sense when you think about it Biblically. I've met a lot of babies, and every single one of them makes my heart giddy and beat faster. It's no secret for anyone who knows me that kiddies are my FAVORITE!

My cousin, Josh, and his wife, Jennifer, just celebrated the birth of their first child, Cara Danielle, on Friday, April 15th and 9:16 p.m. To understand how this is miraculous in a more spectacular way than many other baby stories, I need to let you in on a few things. Humor me while I tell you a little bit about Josh and Jennifer's"God thing." :)

They got married seven years ago, and began trying to conceive after two years of marriage. They had numerous miscarriages, and found out along the way that it was pretty much impossible for them to ever have a child. Their first miscarriage was in 2006, and now, five years later, they have a brand new baby girl to prove that science has no hold over what Jesus can and will do in your life. They asked. They received. I can't tell you how many times I prayed for the Lord to give them a baby of their own, and I am certain that I was joined by hundreds of others with the same prayer.

The Lord is good. And merciful. And compassionate. And he loves us. More than our tiny little hearts can bear to comprehend.

Miracles happen everyday. Just ask Cara. :)

 meeting the sweet baby girl for the very first time. she's already captured the hearts of SO many people!

 man oh man, do I love this family. :)

 she's so stinkin' cute that it nearly kills me!

 her so wittle!

And as Teesh and I were leaving the hospital, we had a run-in with this little guy! Sweet baby Luke! We reeeeeeeally love babies in our family.

Look around. Realize the miracles that are taking place right before your own eyes. I promise you that the first time you ever see one, you'll never look at the world the same again. At least I haven't.

"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."
-Job 9:10

"You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples."
-Psalm 77:14