"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 7/26/09 edition

This person is a good friend.
This person LOVES to talk & is easy to talk to.
She is a good wife & mother.
She is creative.
If I ever needed anything done "just so" right down to the little details, she'd probably be one of the first people I'd call :)
She has given me 3 super little people to be an aunt to, one of which is my awesome & only godson!
This person can make yummy cookies & loves to bake all kinds of goodies.
If I ever need a picture from any family gatherings, I can pretty much guarantee that she will have taken one at some point that I can borrow! ;)
This person loves to read too & is always willing to give me a suggestion for 'what to read next'!
She is a great aunt to the only nephew she has ;)

So, here's to my sis-in-law, Jenny~I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 7/12/09 edition

That's right~it's back, finally! Enjoy :)


This person is fun to be around.
This person is a super friend & she likes to use the word "super" about as much as I do :)
She is the only reason I have ever felt the need to actually have to 'get out quick' from a bar.
This person can always make me smile no matter how I am feeling.
This person is a great listener.
Sometimes I think God made us friends because we both love to gossip so much~oh, wait-he doesn't like that, never mind ;)
I love that we can tell each other anything & never have to worry about the other one being offended.
She is a great mother to her kids & wife to her husband.
I like that she lives close & is always up for a walk when the need arises.
I am thankful everyday that somehow we became roommates because I would hate to think what a wonderful friendship I would have missed out on if we would not have been!

So, here's to you, Lora~I love ya & thanks for being such a super friend! :)

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 5/31/09 edition

This person is a good husband to his wife.
This person is a great father.
This person is always up for a game of cards or a visit with family & friends.
He is a very hard worker.
He usually likes to make homemade ice cream whenever we all get together!
He has shown a tremendous strength & faith over the past several months when it was needed most by his family.
He is a lot of fun to be around.
This person has blessed me with 3 beautiful nieces!
He knows waaaay more about crops & farming than I will ever pretend to know :)
I have the utmost respect for this person, even though when I first met him he was dressed as a woman & seemed to be enjoying it very much :) (RELAX everyone~it was long before he had met my sister & it was a Halloween party!;)

So to my brother-in-law, Eric, here's to you~I love ya & I hope your b-day this past week was super! :)

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 4/12/09

This person knew me before I was born.
This person loves me unconditionally.
This person understands the true meaning of love.
This person has set a great example for how I should live my life.
This person is always near.
This person has always shown me how to handle any pain I have experienced in my life.
This person makes me think about how I treat others.
This person is a great teacher.
This person is the basis for many of the things I believe.
He has shown me that life here on Earth is only the beginning not the end!

So, here's to you, Jesus~I love ya & am thankful for all that you have done & given us!

Happy Easter Everyone!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 4/5/09 edition

This person is a super friend!
This person can always make me laugh!
It is a bit scary just HOW much we think alike.
She can always find time for a "venting" session whenever I need one & knows that I always do the same for her.
I am glad that she is tall like me-it's good to have someone else to "stick out" above the crowd with when we go dancing with friends. :)
I may be the "instigator" in our little group of friends, but she is definitely the one who is always willing to take on my ideas!
I love how open & honest she is with people, even when it may be difficult to do.
She definitely gives me more courage just by being around her.
She is a great mom, sister, daughter, friend, teacher, etc.
She is a person who I know I can always count on & that says a lot all by itself!

So to my friend, Sheryl, here's to you~I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 3/29/09 edition

This person makes me smile each & every time I see her.
This person was a "first" for me in many different ways...niece, goddaughter, etc.
I love how much she loves her 'babies' & how she seems to know every song she hears!
She could make a wonderful nun someday with as much as she loves to pray.
I love that I can see 'bits' of my sisters & I in her, yet she is still very much her own little person.
She is a good big sister.
I like seeing the "mother hen" come out in her when she is interacting with her little sisters.
This little person helped to introduce me to the idea of just how much I would someday love my future children when we were struggling with IF.
I was always surprised at how calming I found it to 'hang out' with her during that difficult time in our lives too.
I love watching this person grow & change with each passing year!

So, Melissa, here's to you~I love you & Happy 3rd Birthday this week!!!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday: Luke style! :)

I just kind of feel like changing it up a bit this week, so here are a few things that are currently "lighting up" Luke's little world :)

1. PUPPIES!!!!!!!!!! He just can't get enough of them & loves getting a visit in with one whenever he can-he'll even bring you your shoes if that makes things easier!
2. Cookies! Another word that has just recently made it right up there with that one in the #1 spot (meaning either one of them could be the first one he says first thing in the morning!)-Most of the time he doesn't get any (because 90% of the time we don't have any here), but he definitely has a new found love for them.
3. Balls! Throwing, rolling, throwing, watching people with them, throwing, what's not to love.
4. Papaws! One has a puppy & one makes fun sounds for him to imitate, plus he can say this grandpa's last name-Luke's pretty proud of all of those things!
5. Mamaws! (although he never says this word as often :( his smile tells the true story when he sees them!) Again, one comes with a "Puppy Papaw" :) toy cars & treats while the other one has a BIG ball (exercise ball) & lots of tickles!
6. The Babysitter's! A house dog (are you sensing a theme yet with his fave things ;) , golf cart rides, trips to town, wagon rides, plus ALL of the attention he could ever want! Shouldn't we all be so lucky :)
7. Daddy! He takes him to visit the puppy & gets to hang out with him every day-how could he not be a daddy's boy!
8. Mommy! She reads him ALL of the books he wants mostly whenever he wants & she can always find the puppies in the books!
9. Pizza! It makes his poop nasty to clean, but that's not his concern-he just knows that it is quite tasty!
10. Cars! He loves listening for them outside & watching through the window as they drive past our house all while either waving, making motor sounds or both at the same time!

Hope you enjoyed this week's tweaked version~it's back to my life next week!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 3/8/09

This person is quiet, but...
Don't be fooled, he is also a mastermind, especially when it comes to antagonizing his siblings :)
This person is a good dad & uncle.
This person is handy to have around as a "Mr. Fixit"
I am always surprised at how excited he gets when talking about The Lord of the Rings series of books/movies/video games/etc.
This person is definitely the outdoorsy type.
He is very enthusiastic about cooking & likes trying out new recipes.
He can make lots of neat sound effects during conversations! :)
He is a loyal friend.
He is a good husband to his wife.

So here's to my brother-in-law, Pete~I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 2/22/09

That's right, after a couple of weeks off, it's back! :)

This person is very thoughtful.
This person is a good cook.
This person would do just about anything her kids asked of her.
This person enjoys her Sunday afternoon naps after the grandkids leave. :)
She is a great mother & grandmother.
She is a great neighbor to have too.
She loves to garden & helps to keep her kids stocked with homemade canned goods.
She is a wonderful babysitter!
She loves to read & is always offering me some kind of book to read.
She is a good wife to her husband.

So here's to my mother-in-law, Debra~I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 2/1/09

This person is a loving husband to his wife.
This person is the only person I know that refers to his grandchildren as "little warts" or "wartheads" :)
This person has taught his eldest son really well, the wonderful art of telling a loooong story!
He has a very handy knack for being able to fix things.
This person can make a very good pie!
He has also made me an apple crisp for each of my last 2 birthdays with my age spelled out in cinnamon~yummy!
I appreciate the fact that he would do anything for his children & their wives & children.
Holiday dinners wouldn't be the same if he didn't get grumpy while cooking/helping out ;)
He is a wonderful father & grandfather.
When it comes to fishing in the summer or snowman building in the winter, you can bet that he'll be there to help out with the fun! :)

So here's to my father-in-law, Carl~I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 1/25/09

This person always makes me laugh.
This person is by far the "most intelligent" person in his family...if you listen to him tell it :)
I am actually a bit frightened by how alike our sense of humors are!
This person would do anything for his family & friends.
He is a good uncle, but prefers to see his niece & nephews in 'small doses'.
This person loves to cook & is good at it too.
He loves to sing, especially when he may only know one little phrase of a song & knows that it may be annoying to his brother.
He is a good brother to his brothers & sister.
This person is very thoughtful, most of the time. ;)
He is my only hope for having a niece named "Ethelburga" someday! haha (maybe I'll share this inside joke with all of you in a future post someday...)

So to my brother-in-law, Brad, here's to you~I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 1/18/09 edition

This person is one of my most faithful readers sometimes checking up on us several times a day. :)
This person is very creative.
This person was right there with & for us through the tremendous emotional ups & downs of the days surrounding Luke's birth & his birthmother's relinquishment.
This person let us take over her home (basically gave it up to us) for 2 weeks while we waited for permission to leave Georgia & head back to Illinois after Luke's birth, which is something we will always be soooo grateful to her for doing.
She makes me laugh when she piles lots of cheese on her food because she LOVES it knowing that she will regret it a few hours later when her stomach is upset (lactose intolerance is not her friend!)
She is a good aunt to Luke even if she doesn't change diapers or like kids very well when they're acting up! :)
I love how persistent she is about making her cat here in IL a housecat even though her parents will have no part in it, since it is their house.
She has a great fashion sense & understands the torment that goes along with having curly hair!
She is a good friend to have & I am glad to know her.
She is a great sister to my husband.

So Mary~here's to you, it's finally your turn! I love ya! :)

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 1/11/09 edition

This person can get "under my skin" faster than anyone else I know. :)
This person is always there for me when I need her most.
This person has shown a strength that I'm not so sure I would have with regards to an impending "crisis" her family is facing.
This person can tell a story better than I can.
She is the person (along with myself) who introduced Scott to the true meaning of a "girl fight" (aka 'death stares', silent treatment, etc) when Scott & I were dating. :)
She is a great mom & inspires me to help Luke be more independent after watching her with her girls.
We have always pushed each other to be better than the other or at least the best we could be (with only a 16 month age difference, isn't sibling rivalry swell!)
This person never lets me forget the silly mistakes I have made, especially when she has been along for most of them!
This person has been there for almost everything that has ever happened in my life & I can't imagine & wouldn't have wanted it any other way!

So Emily~here's to you! I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday edition 1/4/09

This person has always been there for me.
This person is a GREAT listener (she's had plenty of practice of the years that's for sure!)
This person is always ready to help her family & friends who are in need.
This person is always willing & loves watching her grandchildren (even though she does sometimes forget that she already has something "on her calendar" for the same time :)
She is a good baker, but usually needs a 'reason' to bake (like a birthday or church fundraiser!)
When I look back on my school career, I am very grateful for all of the 'running' she did so that my sisters & I could participate in sports, band, clubs, etc.
I love watching her play with babies-I truly believe that within just a few minutes of meeting any baby she could make him/her laugh.
She is very generous (she's one of the few people I know who doesn't even bat an eyelash when her husband tells her that he is going to the "boat" (casino boat) again for the 3rd time in a week! She just says "Well I don't have to worry about him bugging me that way!") :)
I love how deep her faith is & am grateful that she has instilled that in my sisters & me too.

So Mom, here's to you!~I love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 12/28/08 edition

That's right-after a week off due to family festivities & just plain old tiredness on my part-it's back! (For those of you placing bets as to who it will be this week-good luck! That means you Mary!) :)

This person can always manage to do or say something that makes me laugh.
He loves to share his knowledge (loudly), especially in regards to politics, with his family & friends.
He likes to bake, even though I don't always particularly enjoy the goodies he enjoys baking.
I have known him my whole life.
He loves to pick on my mom (hmmm...I wonder where I got that from-Sorry Scott!)
He loves to play host to people at his house.
I can honestly say that I know him a lot better as an adult than I ever did as a kid.
He always surprises me when he answers the phone-he'll talk to me & my sisters for a long time, but is always eager to pass the phone off if it is anyone else.
I love watching how he interacts with & worries about his grandkids because I don't remember seeing that side of him (although his sisters tell us he did the same thing when we were little too!)
I love how he knows the "proper way" to set a table for guests-even if it is just his kids, which is the inspiration for me choosing him this week (more on that in a future post-I'll even have a pic to post-SHOCKING I know!) :)

So to my DAD~I love you & can't wait to see what you have in store for us today at our family Christmas celebration!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 12/14/08 edition

This person is someone whom I have known her whole life~I have a few vague memories of when she was born.
She is no longer a pesky little kid who I have to look after, but...
has become a very good friend as we have gotten older.
I have found that her & I actually have a lot more in common than I ever thought we did growing up.
I cannot imagine my life without her in it & dread the day that either one of us has to face that possibility.
This person is quite generous & loving.
She is a wonderful aunt to all of her nieces & nephews.
She can be a little "dense" at times, but most of the time is very good natured about it, but...
I also learned a long time ago that you don't want to mess with her temper, if you do get her fired up! :) [it takes A LOT to get her worked up though]
She is one of the best sisters that I could ever have (along with my other sister too of course!)

So Beth~here's to you, I love ya & Happy 25th Birthday (yesterday)!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 12/7/08 edition

This person has a giggle (especially when he's tired) that always makes me laugh.
This person has taught me the true meaning of the term a "mother's love"~I now know just how deep that love is.
I love listening to this person walk around the house 'talking'.
A hug from this person can brighten my spirits any day.
I love wondering about who this person will become as he grows.
I appreciate all of the time I get to spend with him even when he is crabby. :)
I hope that one day he will be able to say that I have set a good example for him.
I want only the best for him, but don't want him to become one of those kids/people who believe they are "entitled" to things.
This person amazes me each day when he learns something new, especially when I think about just how far he has come in the last year.
This person's smile makes my heart melt every single time.

I'm sure you've guessed it by now, especially considering that quite a few of my posts involve him!
So, here's to you Luke~I love you, baby boy!

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday 11/30/08 edition

"You Light Up My Life" Sunday: 11/23/08 edition

This person is obviously very special to me.
This person is always there for me even when I have gone completely off my rocker! :)
This person puts up with me even though I give him a hard time ALOT of the time.
This person is my best friend.
This person probably knows me better than I know myself sometimes (even though I would never admit it in public & it is not an endorsement of him 'always being right'-because he isn't always!) :)
This person always lets me know that I am loved even on those occasional days when I am not such a lovable person.
This person is the love of my life.
This person doesn't get upset when I don't listen to his stories for the 1,000th time. ;)
This person has stayed by my side through thick & thin over the last 8 years, never wavering, even when times have been tough on us.
And finally...this person has caused my love for him to grow even greater over this past year by watching him be such a great father to our son!
So, Scott, here's to you!~Love ya!

"You Light Up My Life" Sundays

This past week has been marked by a tragedy in my "extended" family. One of my second cousins died early last week. Now if you know me in real life, then you know that I have many, many, many 2nd cousins (hundreds actually) so this type of 'distant' relative dying usually wouldn't have much impact on me, since I actually don't know many of them-it would be sad, yes, but more in the sense of hearing that a stranger had passed away not a close relative.
This time was different though-I actually knew her & grew up with her & her siblings. In fact, her mom calls my mom her 'big sister'. My aunt was her mom's college roommate & her godmother. Her mom & dad are in my mom & dad's card club (again, if you know my family-you know that playing cards is a HUGE deal!) I grew up going over to her house with my sisters occasionally while mom would do her shopping. I also played volleyball against & with her sister. I could go on & on. I can't, however, say that I knew her super well-she was always younger than me-one of the 'little' kids just like my youngest sister & she fell just far enough behind me in school (grade wise) that she was always at a different level (middle school vs high school, high school vs college, etc) again just like my sister, but I can say that our families are close & that she will be greatly missed. She was only 24 (2 months younger than my sister in fact) & her death came very suddenly & totally unexpectedly. She died from a blood clot that went to her lungs-she had just had surgery a couple of weeks ago to repair an ankle injury [she was a college volleyball player] & the clot developed sometime afterwards. She was going to medical school to be a doctor for people in rural areas & had just received her white coat 2 days before she died. It is a tragedy, but through all of it-the one thing that everyone agreed on is that she was very much loved & was a good person to her family, friends & anyone she came in contact with. In fact, many of the things that were said about her at the funeral are things that I hope people will say about me someday when my time comes to an end. She did much with the few short years she was given & she definitely let people know how much they meant to her.
All of this has inspired me to use my blog to let people know how much they mean to me, so Sundays here at "Faith, Hope & Poop" are going to be called '"You Light Up My Life" Sundays' & each week I will feature someone who 'lights up' my life & tell you just why they are so special to me. I hope that you will enjoy it & that you will go out & tell those that you love just how much they mean to you!~Kindra, here's to you! Rest in peace lovely lady.