I love my love so very much!  And I can't wait to see him!

Today would be my Grandma's sixty-eighth birthday.  She's spending it in heaven. No imagination that could conceive of the wonders and glories of heaven. The fact of eternity being forever is way beyond the scope of my imagination.  It's comforting though. Knowing that forever has no limit or end and that we will be with our Lover forever and always in His Presence. 
Grandma touched many lives, way more than she ever was able to know about on earth. She helped start a Crisis Pregnancy Center of which she directed for eighteen years.  One night while she was in the ICU we prayed over her. Aunt Monica thanked God for what a great mom and Grandma she had been.  And she prayed that He would reveal Himself during this time.  A little while later my cousin Carrington and I were in the waiting room watching I Love Lucy on her DVD player.  When the theme song came on we heard some ladies across the divider humming along.  Since it was late at night and they were the only one's in the room we asked if they would like to join us.  They said that they might but they were going down to the cafeteria first.  One of the ladies came over and talked to us.  She had heard about a lady being there and she asked if it was our Grandma.  She said that years before she had met my Grandma during a really difficult time in her life. She had been in a relationship and had gotten pregnant.  She had two little boys at the time and even though she was a Christian she said that for an instant she wondered if abortion would be the right thing for her.  She went down to the pregnancy center and my Grandma was the one who counselled her.  The lady said that she was so loving and gentle, that she wasn't pushy or judgmental at all.  She told me that her daughter is seventeen today and that if it weren't for God using my Grandma to love her at that time her daughter wouldn't be here. 

At her funeral Carrington and I read Proverbs 31 together.  At first we were both were very hesitant to read, we didn't think we would be able to get through it. 
I knew that she would be saying, "Come on Abigail, do it for me!"
The verse from Proverbs 31 that corresponds with my Grandma's birthday is verse eight:

"Open your mouth for the speechless. In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judged righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

That was something that my Grandma certainly did.  She spent her life giving attention to those who otherwise would have been overlooked.  Ask anyone who knew her and they will tell you that she was an unique individual.  She is greatly missed.

A few days before her death she made each of her daughters promise that they would give us kids treats every Sunday in honor of her. 

I'm going to eat something sweet every Sunday of my life in honor of you, Grandma. 
I can't wait to see you again!

I love you...

To My Grandma

Julia Elizabeth

June 8, 1944 - May 5, 2012

My Grandma went to be with Jesus the morning of May 5th.  As heartrending as it feels I'm so happy for her! In the last 5+ years her health had gotten worse and worse, she spent the last two weeks of her life in the ICU. She really wanted to live to July 14th, to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary with my Grandpa. And to see her oldest granddaughter's wedding next spring.  She had fought so long and so hard.  Through breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, gout, and kidney failure.

But now she's free from all her pain. No more dialysis, medication, doctors, and hospitals...she's free! Perfectly healed and perfectly whole.  She's with her Mom, Grandmother, her brother, and the grandchildren that she didn't get to meet on earth...I know she is unbelievably happy.

We're grieving for ourselves, not for her...

She was such a wonderful person. Truly unique.  Full of life, vivacious, outgoing, generous, and fun.  She was incredibly creative and gifted.  We always have called her BooBoo, one of the many names that my Grandpa has had for her, and she always liked it because she said it was unique.

She was more than just my Grandma, she was my dear friend.

I see her all around me. My life is filled with her. I treasure the cookbook she made me, the clothes she sewed, the dolls she made before I was born.  The cards she sent me every Birthday, Valentines, and Easter.  The Christmas ornaments, the books, the apron that she sewed this past Christmas when her hands were gnarled with gout.

I miss the times that I had with her before she got so sick, when she was more like her real, fun loving self. She would spend hours telling me stories, swimming with us in the pool, watching shows with us during the summertime on her big bed while she would massage my feet or brush my hair.  I miss playing "Julia and Francesca" and "Thelma and Louise." I miss going shopping with her and eating out. I miss playing games with her around the dining room table every night and having her get mad at me for not playing by the rules (though I hated it at the time). I miss the way she says "water" and "daughter" in her Southern accent.  I miss cooking with her and eating the cookies she made every Christmas. I miss her reading "Nancy Drew" to me when I was younger. I miss her being at my ballet recitals and always making me feel so special. I miss calling her and her praying for me and the peace that I would always feel when she did.

Grandma, I missed you last week when I wanted to call to wish you a happy mother's day.  I miss skyping with you and seeing your posts on Facebook and your blog.  I will miss you every time there is something special and I can't call to tell you about it.  I will miss you at my graduation.  I will miss your love (more like passion) for Christmas!  I miss your smile, voice, laugh, and touch.

But I know that I will see you again!


BooBoo, thank-you for every time you sat through dialysis so that you could live to spend more time with us. Thank-you for every time we kept you up until the wee hours of the morning and you didn't get upset. Thank-you for every gift you ever gave us and every card you ever sent, I have saved them all.  Thank-you for every recital that you went to even when your health was so bad. Thank-you for teaching us about our family history. Thank-you for teaching us about Southern hospitality and gracious living.  Thank-you for teaching us about how to be a good hostess.  Thank-you for imparting your respect and love of the south to us. Thank-you for writing the journals to us. Thank-you for your love of homemaking.  Thank-you for imparting your love of crafting to your granddaughters. Thank-you for every Christmas that you made so magical. Thank-you for making your house one of my favorite places to be.  Thank-you for being silly with us and doing things just to shock us. Thank-you for putting up with so much from us. Thank-you for encouraging me in my dreams and always making each of us feel special and important. Thank-you for every prayer that you prayed for me. Thank-you for always teaching me to live for Jesus and to trust Him with my life.
You will live in our hearts until we meet you again. I hope you're one of the first people to greet me when I come to heaven.

I will think of you every time I'm in Georgia. At every family gathering. Every time I hear Elvis sing "Blue Christmas" I will think of you trying to mimic him. Every thing about Christmas makes me think of you, you loved it more than anyone I know.  Every time I eat ice cream and Popsicles.  Every time I swim. Every time I see one of those "fluffy" Christian novels you were never without.  Every time I watch Food Network, House Hunters, or Gone With the Wind. Every time I sew. And every time I'm on stage.  Every time I make one of your recipes. Everytime I see your picture.

I love you BooBoo,
I hope that you're eating lime Popsicles in your mansion!
I'll see you again...

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14 ~ My Grandma's favorite verse

The Dance

All these lovely pictures are from Pinterest

“Think of the magic of that foot 

upon which your whole weight rests.

It’s a miracle and the dance

is a celebration of that miracle.”

- Martha Graham

“Ballet is the one form of theater

where nobody speaks a foolish word all evening.

Nobody on the stage at least.”

- Edwin Denby

 "Ballet technique is arbitrary and very difficult.

It never becomes easy... it becomes possible.”

- Agnes de Mille

“Dancers keep looking for the perfect teacher

without realizing that it's all there within themselves.

You teach yourself; your teacher is a guide.

If you do not hear the advice,

corrections and words of your guide,

it makes no difference how great the teacher.

You will never dance.”

- Author Unknown

 "Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired." ~ Martha Graham

 When I miss class for one day, I know it. When I miss class for two days, my teacher knows it. When I miss class for three days, the audience knows it. -Rudolf Nureyev-

“No one can arrive from being talented alone.  God gives talent; work transforms talent into genius.”

- Anna Pavlova

“Movement without meaning is just exercise.”

                                                - Marie Brooks

At the Present Time...

I'm...

• On a Wind At My Back marathon. That's my favorite show! Made by Canada's Sullivan Entertainment its better than Road to Avonlea...even though all you ever hear about is Anne of Green Gables.
• Working on choregraphy to What Love Really Means with a very talented young dancer who's a lot of fun to work with.
• Teaching the twelve little girls in my class their Swan Lake dance. They have so much energy. I'm always hoarse after class. When they come up and hug me and tell me that I'm, "The best ballet teacher!" it's a really great feeling!
• Working on my own piece for the recital
• Anatomy and Physiology is interesting, certainly beats Chemistry!
• Les Miserable is becoming one of my favorite books, definitely fills the description of a classic.
• Just found out that Ballet Magnificat! will be performing near us! I've been wanting to see them for years. I'm very excited!
• Eating toast with hummus and avocado, quite nice.
• Enjoying my new favorite High Kings song, Red Is The Rose.
• The upcoming election. I find politics interesting, though I have very decided beliefs that not many politicians vote in favor of. :)
• Preparing for the dance competition at the end of this month.
• I've cut back on time spent on the Internet.
• Eating Bittersweet Chocolate...or any kind of chocolate for that matter.
• Reading Tim Tebow's book
• In awe of how great God's plan is and of how amazing He is. He's shown me that I need to trust Him more, believe in faith for Him to accomplish what to my little mind seems to think impossible. He is above my wildest imaginations.

No Greater Love

Before I knew Your Name
You knew my every breathe
Before I found my way
You knew my every step
Before I knew everything that I need
You gave it all to me

No greater love than this
That You should lay down Your life
For someone such as me
I'll spend a lifetime wondering why
The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And know there can be
No greater love than this...

I never understood how merciful love could be
Until I found His flame
Light every part of me
And I would give everything that I am
Cause I have been saved
Yes, I have been saved

No greater love than this
That You should lay down Your life
For someone such as me
I'll spend a lifetime wondering why
The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And I know there can be
No greater love than this...

The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And I know there can be
No greater love than this....

~~~~~~~

No matter the extent of our bondage or our fear, Jesus Christ can free us.

"Forget the former things;
Do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."
Isaiah 43:18-19

He came to set us free and He delights in doing it! Believe.