Reminiscing

With the happenings at my house I have begun to really reflect onb things that have went down over the years. The tragidies, the fights, the games, the jokes, the lines that have been crossed and the lines that have been neglected.

It makes me sad thinking about all the things certain people in my life are missing. It makes me mad when certain people in my life make other people in my life miss things that I deem important. I just want the best for everyone I know and it doesn't seem to work that way. I don't understand it.

Someone in my life said something about it not being fair today, I thought to myself "Life isn't fair, which you have proved to me numerous times these 16 years) then I thought to myself (You're such a jerk Grace, you really need to stop being such a smart aleck) That's when I really realized what it meant when we say in church " I confess to Almighty God that I have sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, what I have done and what I have failed to do...." Its not all in what we say, even if I think something rude its still not okay even though I didn't say it.

Life takes so much more than what people see, people can't see what you think, but God sees it, hears it and knows it. So even if I say "Yes Sir" and mean "FINE" its still not okay, your outer attitude should match your inner attitude. Which granted is really hard. But something that should be worked at. Therefore I am trying to actually mean what I say and be polite in what I say and actually be polite not two faced... I hate saying that about myself but really that's what it is which stinks but its true.

On a lighter note.... I really love that song America's Next Freak. ahaha. Its like so funny. Yes. So if you are in a happy upbeat mood and want to here a particularly funny upbeat song listen to it. Now if you are in a sad reminiscing mood listen to Who You'd be Today by Kenny Chesney. That's one of my favorite songs ever. Sad but really makes me think about people I've known...

That's all for now...

You know you live in hicktown when...

... you hear "dogs" howling and you howl back and aren't surprised to hear laughing and then more howling
...you're afraid to walk down your driveway in fear of the "rabid" deer
... you can hear a donkey bray all day long, everyday, constantly, obnoxiously, and loudly
... instead of walking their dogs people tie them to the fourwheeler and force some exercise outta 'em
... climbing barbed wire fences is part of your everyday routine
... the hot place to hang out is the gas station every friday night
... the roads freeze over and boys "snowboard" down the main road and through intersections
...it's unfortunately not a shock to drive down the street and see the neighbor boy in an all too firmilar stance and he ain't weedeating. yeah...the dogs aren't the only ones around here who mark tires....
...your favorite childhood memory is crawdad fishin' in the creek
...the good ole boys from the feedstore come by to drop off a round bale of hay, ma'am
...the main event on your street is mailbox disasters
...it's illegal to let your dogs run loose but okay to put mail in other people's mailboxes
...the neighbors threaten to "shoot your damn dog"
...seeing your horse terrorize the neighbors livestock is everyday stuff
...the kids come running inside and one of their noses is bleeding and the other ones are like "it was awesome!!!!"
...the only place to skate is in your house
...you put jalepenos and BBQ sauce on just about everything
...you see thick smoke on your road and assume the neighbor is landscaping
...egging and TPing are a thing of the past, the new hit is blowing up mailboxes
...you go into the post office and the clerk catches you up on all the town gossip and somewhere in there you hear a really familiar name.. ooops its time to go. hehehe
...you go to the "big" rodeo in town and half your church is there
..."going to talk to a man about a dog" is just one of the many phrases you learn at an early age
...there's a rainy day and you have laundry to do but don't know where to put the wet stuff, besides the line's already full
...the only thing you have to drink at your house is ice tea or water
...the neighbors call you to ask if that junk pile in your front yard is actually a fort. why yes, it is.
...the neighbor offers to help finish that tree house on your place and you ask why, it's already done.
...the tire swing is the the most exciting thing since barrel rolling of 2000
...the local ER knows your family name. as in they haven't even had to meet you to hear about you
...swimming in fish ponds and murky muddy water is fun and not at all disgusting in fact it's a planned yearly event
...capture the flag turns into a violent horse manure fight
...the crotchety old guys on the street tell your dad on you for horseback riding close to the road
...you have to get out to open the gate nearly everywhere you go
...all you have to say is i'm Billy Wayne's kid to induce an immediate reaction

this extraordinary post was created by the wonderful and charming oldest daughters of Billy Wayne lol
for the rest of you city folks thats um sam and grace

An Iowa chick chips brush in Texas ;-)

this is me(the Texas girl) used to this torturous labor of chipping cedar....
















this is me and my friend nicki (the Iowa chick) who is not used to the torturous labor of chipping cedar and is sure it will be oh so much fun!












me enjoying the work (not really i'm a faker)












nicki after about 10 minutes (that look could kill i think)










the evil machine that makes all this possible, the mighty chipper! that is attached to the wonderful and yet also evil kabota tractor.













me and nicki feeding the evil machine.











the results are wonderfully chipped cedar.
suprise suprise.










I keep telling people that they really should listen to me when I say things aren't fun or nice or cool. Alsa they never do... Strange.



















Nicki after I said I told ya so!














She looks so sad and tired...she only worked for about uhhhh 45 minutes. If that much. Poor girl.



















oh dear the chainsaw is broken...actually its getting fixed....













"oh no!!! did you say he was fixing it?!?!?! what do we do?!"










that crazed look on my face means run for it. or in this case speed off. In daddy's truck...









When I told her that the only reason Daddy let us take his truck (yes I did actually ask permisson before jumping in the truck and flooring it;-]) was so we could make dinner.





oh poor Nicki. She's not one for pyhsical labor. She was a lifegaurd this summer and thats probably the most time she's ever spent outside. Her whole life. She's a city girl. Who loves on a farm. I dunno. But whenever she comes down to Texas we let her get a taste of hard work...and then rush her to the house and a/c wait on her hand and foot til she recovers and then let her eat some real food. Okay so actually she doesn't have us wait on her hand and foot. She also helps cook. Well actually learns I don't know what they teach those girls up in Iowa but not knowing how to cook when you have 7 siblings in unexceptable. But hey she catches on pretty fast....for a Iowan. Hahaha just kidding. She's back in Iowa now and us Texans miss her. =( Next time she comes we should build a fence mwahahaha

i've been thinking about...

change. it happens a lot. so why are we so afraid of it? why don't we embrace it? why can't we just look at it as a new challenge or an adventure. or a learning experience. people change. not always for the better but then again its not necessarily for the worst. they just change. they're different. maybe its good for them. maybe they're finally acting like themselves. maybe we need to give them a chance and room to grow. and change whenever they want. if its wrong they'll change back...eventually. if they have love and support from their family and friends. our opinions about things change too. they way we look at things and people. most of this change happens when we experience something big. the decisions we make will change us forever, but the things we learn from the decisions are important life lessons. we don't have time machines to go back in time and fix everything we'd like to. so why don't we just accept life as it is and try to do better in the future. instead of mulling over things in the past. thinking about things and regretting them doesn't change anything.just makes you miserable. when we realize things aren't as easy as we thought, theres no reason to feel hypocritical about it. why not just come to an understanding about it and and use what you've learned to help others. things are never as messed up as we make them seem. we over complicate everything. sometimes we need to just relax and not think so much.go to church spend some time in adoration. take it slow. have time alone in silence so you can think and be open with yourself without distractions. pray and trust He hears you. live and know He sees you. cry and know He's there for you. trust Him with all your heart, body, mind and soul. mess up and know He forgives you if you ask him to. laugh and know it brings Him joy. love the people around you like He loves you.

recently someone told me that i'm wise beyond my years and they don't know what they'd do without me. but really i'd be nowhere without their advice and input in my own life, the love and understanding and that they give to me. so unconditionally. i'm blessed to have them in my life.