The Coloring Kid!

This is what I found when I walked into the kitchen yesterday after work. Yes he is coloring in a Christmas coloring book, it i s NOT a figment of your imagination! My daddy is just a big kid at heart and that is one of the many reasons why I absolutely love him!

~AzK~

Farewell Fetokai

From Left to Right:

Standing: Daddy, Elder Dame, Elder Fetokai, Elijah

Sitting: Arminda, Me, Kristina holding Jarah

Elder Fetokai got transferred and is now serving in Alabama. He is a great Elder and will be sorely missed. He was the first new Elder to get assigned here when I got home and it was his first area. He was trained by Elder Wilson and then trained Elder Dame all while assigned here. Because I served with so many Polynesians on my mission having him around really helped me adjust to being home again. His performance at the ward social and various Family Home Evenings are great memories! I don't think I will ever forget the day he called me a "FOB" in the hallway at church. We laughed so hard. I thought E. Wilson was going to die! We also gave those 2 the traditional "Welcome to the Big LC" posters his first night in town and it was so much fun! I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and knows what I need to make my path a little easier to walk, but then also gives me the opportunity to help someone else along the way. Good Luck in your new area Elder!

~AzK~

Family Home Evening

Our family as usual, has our own little way of holding family home evening (FHE). We weren't doing so well in our little immediate families at being obedient to this program that the church has organized to help us keep our focus on family, but now, thanks to Aunt Katrina, we are progressing! She came up with the really great idea to have all of our little families meet together once a week for FHE. So far we are doing pretty well. Going on about 3 or 4 years now. When I was on the mission it was one of the things I missed the most about not being at home. I love to spend time with them learning about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It really is the only avenue to joy in this life and the life to come.




Y'all know that we are a big bunch. Loud and fun loving. We have had some amazing experiences and we are growing together as a family which is the whole point and purpose. Once a week is quite a lot of family time for a crew like ours and we have covered every gospel topic under the sun. Some would think it would be super boring but not with a family like mine. One of the best lessons was at Aunt Randy's house. We were told that there was a grand prize and we had to answer questions and earn money (monopoly money) to be able to win it. We all of course did our very best at answering gospel related questions and as the pool of people with money left dwindled we would give our little bit of cash to help a player with a better chance. Trey wound up with the most money and then Aunt Randy told us the prize was actually priceless. That we couldn't even buy it with earthly money. She showed us a temple recommend and then taught us that our words and actions were the currency that we would need to obtain something as priceless as it is. That has always stuck with me. Some things you just can't put a price on. Another great lesson was at Aunt Katrina and Monroe's house. He gave us all slips of paper with scripture stories and we had to act it out and have the rest of the family guess. Grandpa was in a group with Miranda and Randy Peddie and all the babies! They got the story of the brother of Jared. All the little kids held up a sign that said, "A Rock" and when touched by grandpa's hand they smiled. It was so cute and we were able to guess the story. The kids of course were adorable. While we do focus on church doctrine at FHE we have also had fun, not so spiritual times. We do the usual birthday cook outs and memorial day celebrations. Aunt Randy put her bar stools up behind her love seat and we had 3 rows of 3, like a tick tack toe board. She had of on 3 bar stools and then 3 of us sat on the love seat and 3 more right in front on the floor. Then she gave us all X's and O's and we played Hollywood Squares. The questions were about our family members like How many had won the Bulldog Athletic Award in High school? How many had ever sang in public or for money? Who were the 2 who caught a tree on fire down at grandaddy Rudd's while playing with fire works? How many in our family are named James? How many returned missionaries and seminary graduates? Just the funny stuff and stories that we hadn't heard being the younger generation. I learned so much! It was a hoot to hear some of the things that Daddy and Monroe and Jamie got into before we all came along and then grandma and grandpa's reaction to the adventures.



Last night was my turn and we went through the bible dictionary and looked up some terms that we hear a lot in our everyday church attendance. Like for example, did you know that Manna literally means "What is it?" When bread was falling from the sky on the children of Israel that is exactly the reaction they had, "What is it?" Wouldn't you have the same one? I know I would! We also looked up Lucifer, Satan before he was cast our of the presence of God. Lucifer actually means bringer of light. How interesting! We learned that Christ was as common a name as John or James are today and that Satan literally means "slanderer". We learned so many interesting facts together through the scriptures. I dressed the little ones up and gave them things to prompt our memories of the stories we know. Kole had a bow and arrow, symbolic of Samuel the Lamanite or Nephi and his broken bow. He was holding stones. Like a modern day David or even the Brother of Jared. Keaton had water and a stick of wood. Reminding us of the Flood with Noah, the Cross, and various different staffs the Lord used to perform miracles. Jarah was decked out in jewels and fine clothing, usually used to symbolize wicked, idolatrous people but reminded us also of Queen Ester, the prosperity of the righteous Nephites, and the wealth that Lehi left in order to follow the will of God.



We often hear the old adage "the family that prays together stays together". I know that no truer words have been uttered by the mouth of man. We learn together, we pray together, we laugh together, we love, we cry, we understand, we partake of the goodness that the gospel has to offer, and we share it all, TOGETHER!



~AzK~

Down Home, Down the Street

Down home, down the street, is not only referencing the Piggly Wiggly. This past weekend and old friend and I went up to Rock Bluff and visited the Torreya State Park. Both Tim and I have been several times but I hadn't been since I got home and we had never been together. He was in town for the weekend so we raided his sisters fridge (thanks mrs. Becky) and camera in hand took off to the park. It was a beautiful afternoon and we enjoyed ourselves in spite of the fact that we both forgot about bugs in the summertime in Florida. Needless to say we were quickly reminded. There were so many mosquitoes that we could have been levitating and not known it! But that is the price you pay for being outdoors. I really didn't mind it at all. The crowning jewel of the park is by far the old time mansion sitting on the hill. The Gregory house has always been special in my family. Before it was moved to Rock Bluff it used to be up in Jackson County and my Grandma Kennedy played underneath it as a small child. It was up on bricks and they could park the horse and buggy underneath it. That is where grandma would always find herself on those hot summer days, complete with dirt it was a younguns dream. The house was eventually floated down the Apalachicola river and set to rest looking out over the banks in the Torreya State Park. The house has made many pleasant memories for my family since it arrival here in Liberty County. Several of our bunch have been married there including Aunt Randy and Uncle Jamie, Aunt Shannon and Uncle Craig, Kirstin and Anthony, and Sloan and her first husband Cliff. Many field trips have been conducted there and even more ghost stories told about the place. They have trails you can hike, a picnic area, a candle light ceremony every year to commemorate the soldiers complete with a reenactment, scheduled tours of the mansion and of course, a beautiful view of the river. Peace speaks from the pines and the moss waves in the wind reminiscent of days gone by. A much simpler time. As you walk up to the house you can almost picture a youngun and dog on the front steps licking a melting ice cream cone in the hot summer sun, or a few teenage boys beating a rut down to the river bank to cast a line. In its preservation, the Gregory house gives us the opportunity to step back in time and pause, enjoying the beauty of yesteryear in great detail. I hope that you can all take a minute and stop by for a visit. Take a glass of pink lemonade and have a seat on those old front steps. Share a story or two and get back to what really matters, down home, down the street.

cR@zY on more than one level!

My birthday on May 8 + Mothers Day on May 9 = One CR@ZY weekend for me! Daddy bought mama a dining room set that she wanted for mothers day so that me and Arminda to get creative and find something she would want. What do you give somebody who buys herself whatever she wants right when she sees it? Well, with little sleep and no brain, for some unknown reason, I agreed to do sister pictures with Arminda (the only sister I have, thank goodness) for mama for Mother's Day gift. It was her idea and the catch was that she is the one that wanted to take them! But I guess if you know my mama it ain't really that surprising! She found a field uptown full of little yellow flowers and decided she just had to have pictures in it. So early Sunday afternoon we went up town next to Mr. Bob's old store and had fun playing in the flowers. Kristina and Jarah also had to be subjects for mama and their pictures turned out cute as well. Here are some of my favorites.

Me and Ms. Binky!

It looks like we are twins, the straight and curly version of each other.

This was one of mama's favorites.

I had had enough of her smack! Just kidding!

Let them eat cake!

The weekend of cake! It all started on Friday. With my birthday on Saturday, my office bought me a red velvet cake from the Cake Shop. It was wonderful and the card was great too! I really do have a good time at work! That evening Miranda had asked me to keep the kids for her and Kaleb to go out and of course I agreed! I love those little ones. I told her I would just come straight after work. Mama dropped me off there and when I walked in, much to my surprise their little family had thrown me a surprise birthday party, complete with posters on the wall, the cake, everything! The kids put on their costumes from their birthday parties (black and red Spiderman) and Loraina put on a power ranger suit too! We had an absolute blast! Rebekah came and ate with us and I was grateful to have her there, sometimes we just really don't spend good quality time with those that mean so much to us! After the party wound down she and I decided to run up to Dothan for one of our friends graduation parties. As we were on the way out of Miranda's mama called and said that I needed to come by Kristina and Elijah's. When I got there we had more cake and burgers. They also surprised me. Binky was just so excited to get even more cake and she sang happy birthday with everyone! Have I mentioned lately that I am one of the luckiest girl ever? Does it get any better than 5 million calories in the space of 3 hours with the people who fill your heart?? I think not! If this is any indication of things, 24 is going to be good year! And if not, I think we have enough cake to get us through! Milk anyone?

From work.....

From Miranda and crew

the kids with the signs

Kristina, me, and Rebekah. Daddy put exactly

24 candles on it! I thought the fire alarm was

going to go off. I got them all in one go!

I love to see the Temple

Well with Kale coming on the 15th of April I kinda thought we had witnessed our last really big blessing for a while. Him serving our Heavenly Father was one of the best blessings a family can get. We watched him grow and change and then come home get in the groove and get back into everything again. But I was kinda missing the spiritual high that comes from anticipating something so wonderful. Then Aunt Boo (Sloan Fowler) told us that she was getting her own endowments out in the Orlando Temple on May 1. I was able to go and I am so grateful for that opportunity. At 5:00 am, bright and early, Aunt Randy pulled into our driveway with the Tahoe and climbed into the far back seat. She wasn't feeling well but we all know that a little issue like that would never keep her from the temple and enjoying the blessings of see Aunt Boo there. She relinquished, astonishingly, the driver seat to me and mama settled in the second seat. We stopped and picked up Aunt Katrina and then Amy. With Aunt Katrina riding shot gun next me we began our adventure. What a lucky girl I am. I got to spend 5 hours in a car, as the driver and thus controller of the radio, with 4 of my favorite women. Cause that's the way we roll. All together always. AWESOME! We even tease a lot about us being together all the time because even when they were having us younguns they would call around when the time came to have the baby and everybody would go together. Just another one of those things that I have come to love as I have been raised by these amazing people I call family.

When we got to the temple we could just feel the excitement in the air. It was like a starving man coming to Christmas dinner. We were all there needing a little 'somethin, somethin" as Aunt Randy would say. Life has been kinda getting the best of us lately. While waiting in the chapel for the session to start we got to talking about our favorite things in the temple and the work that we were so fortunate to be able to do. I was going through for Memaw's (Aunt Margie) grandma which was very special to me. Heather had 3 sisters to do and she gave them to Mama, Aunt Katrina and Aunt Randy to do and that was wonderful too. Just so many neat experiences and we hadn't even really started yet. Mama's dress showed her feet and I was walking on 2 foot of mine so we ran and traded. It was probably one of my favorite things of the day to be in the temple with my mama, her 2 sister, and my grandma. It don't get much better than that. But if it did, it would include Memaw and Aunt Boo. And it did.

We filed into the session and she was there, pretty as you please, just waiting to soak it all in. Memaw was so happy to finally have Sloan in the temple it looked like her feet were floating off the floor. We sat in a row, Cheryl, Sloan, Memaw, Heather, Brittany, Me. In the row behind me was Aunt Katrina, Aunt Randy, Randy Peddie, Grandma. The row behind them found Mama and Amy and several more all seated and ready to go. It was like we were all holding our breath, and then the magic began.

As we finished up the session and all entered in the Celestial room I took a seat in the far back and just watched everybody come in one by one. I laughed, I cried and I prayed, oh how I prayed. The first person to hug me when I got there was grandpa. I don't think I could have chosen someone I love more than that man. Strong, steady, I should just call him Chevy, because he too is like a rock. There we all were, family and friends, gathering up once again. Tears were shared, soft whispering laughter, hugs, kisses, handshakes and handholding. I can't help but think that is what heaven is going to be like. Everybody filled with joy, together, waiting on the rest to make it through. She did so well and for the first time in my life I saw Aunt Boo as Heavenly Father does. A Beautiful, Kind, Loving, Sweet spirit, choice to him and to me. She radiated happiness and joy. Calm and collected. How I love her.

Of course afterwards we had the usual picture session and we loaded up and brought it on to the house. Many goals achieved and many more set. I think the next best day in the temple will be 24 July when Kale will take Whitney to the temple to be sealed forever and become his wife. The blessings of the temple are too many to count. If I just started with the people that Heavenly Father has blessed me to know I probably would be well over a 1000. What can I say, I am one lucky lady.

Me and Aunt Boo. We were both laughing!

Memaw and her children at the temple. 4 out of 6 aint bad!

The Sister Picture!! Gotta love it!