Merry Christmas from the Little House!

     Merry Christmas to all from the Little House!!!  The Southerland family had a wonderful Christmas together.  My sister, Jordan, has been sick.  Mama, Daddy, and I traveled to Senatobia equipped with packages and reindeer antlers!  It was a festive trip indeed!  When we came home, we exchanged our gifts together.  Santa brought me a flat screen TV!  He knew I was a good girl!

Do me a favor please.  Send up a few prayers for my sister.  She had to go to the hospital today.  She's still weak from being sick all week.  Thanks y'all! 

Life @ the Little House

     I spent most of my Thanksgiving holiday decorating the Little House for Christmas.  Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I truly love and enjoy every single aspect of Christmas.  The Spirit of Christmas is amazing and heart-warming.  I have 3 Christmas trees in the approximately 800 square foot Little House.  They are beautiful!!!  I still have to work on the outside.  I didn't want to remove my pumpkins until after Thanksgiving. 
     I hope to have a Christmas Open House for my community.  The Little House has been around for many years.  It's been vacant for 17 years until I came along.  Naturally, my small town family noticed when the cleaning and renovations began.  When you looked at the front door glass, you could see palm and nose prints from visitors trying see what was going on.  So, to me, the logical solution is to have an open house and invite everybody to come take a gander! 

Opening Day

Saturday was opening day of gun season in the great state of Mississippi. To many people, opening day is considered a legal holiday! This is the day all hunters have prepared and prayed for... Bragging rights! We all hope for a wall-worthy buck to come into shooting range. It's an exciting day for all hunters.
My sister and I are daughters of a (now retired) game warden. We started hunting at a young age. I am so grateful to my daddy for guiding us so early. I enjoy my time in the woods immensely. I learned early to pick and choose what I kill. I don't shoot at everything that walks out. I normally wait for a good buck to walk out. I am thankful that I get to hunt with my daddy and my sister! Daddy was with me when I killed several of my deer. I got to be with Jordan when she killed her first buck last year! It's been amazing!
This past Saturday was a great opening day as well! Daddy has set up a hunting camp in Red Lick, MS. We had the best time! Between the 2 of us, we saw 18 deer. Didn't bag any! :( a lot of our family came to the camp and we spent the day shootin' the bull! Great day!

Bluff and Bayous Music Fest - Vidalia, LA

My uncle is the preacher @ Highland Baptist Church in Natchez, Ms.  His church family organized the Bluff and Bayous Music Fest, which is a Christian music festival.  The festival was held at the amphitheater in Vidalia, LA.  Admission was FREE!  Entertainment was not lacking at this event.  There was all sorts of entertainment and featured headliners, Hannah Belle, High Road, and Diamond Rio!!!  The congregation worked the entire event and handed out tracts leading the lost to Jesus Christ.  This was an amazing event.  It continues to grow each year.

Mesmerizing moon!

I have the cutest parents ever.  The Good Lord blessed me with fantastic role models.

'Fested out!!!!

The Mighty Mississippi!!!  It's such a beautiful site!

DIAMOND RIO!!!!!!!!  They've still got it!  Amazing performance!  They even have a book out!

Made the move...

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have finally moved into my little house.  YAYYYY!!!  It was an emotional but great day.  I attached a picture of my "neighbor."  I'll add pictures of the house soon.

What a week!

     This week has been insanely busy!!!  Of course, I had mounds of papers to grade before cutoff today at 3:30!  I always do that.  It's one of my many faults I guess.  Plus, we had 3 amazing guest speakers brought by the FCA.  Each one was awesome and presented an amazing message!  Oh, and don't forget Boss's Day!

Have a great rest of the week!  Balloon races are this weekend!

Having the power!

     Yesterday, I called for all of my prayer warriors to send a few up for me.  Amazingly, no one questioned why I needed a prayer(s).  They just left me notes that they had done so.  I am so thank for my warriors.  It was them and a major network already set up by my Mama that helped get me through yesterday.   My sister, Jordan, got a job after months of searching.  Praise Jesus!  I went to see the cardiologists and he said the ol' ticker looked great.  Hallelujah!!!!!  The power was so amazing!  I love each of my prayer warriors.  You just helped heal my heart.

"Bells, bells, bells, bells, bells..."

I just realized my life is pretty much dictated by bells, from alarm bells to church bells (which sound beautiful) and school bells in between.  It's amazing how much you can fit in from bell to bell, no matter what type it is.  Lately, I've learned to have a deep appreciation for my bells.  They remind me that I am lucky to see morning, be saved by God's Grace, and that teaching is my passion.  

   

Pumpkins!

Green thumb = Green pumpkin

LOVE my decorative pumpkins!  I bought them today in Natchez, MS.

Homecoming 2010 Pics

Homecoming was a blast!  Here are a few pics!

 

Life in the 7th grade wing

     My students and I are are working on a Viking unit.  We researched the Viking life, explorations, burials, economy, technology, etc.  It has been so much fun!!!!!  They made Viking longships out of egg cartons.  My kiddos turned in some amazing longships.  I can't wait to post pictures.  Next week, we are making live Viking radio/tv commercials with costumes and props.  The student groups are present their commercials to an "advertising agency."  The agency will follow a rubric to rate the commercials.  We are learning powers of persuasion and including features of the Viking life.  I can't wait!

Shabby Chic

Oh the life of the shabby chic!  These are a few pieces of furniture my mama and I have distressed.  They are going in my little rent house!  It's going to be sooo cute (I think)!

Meet Tucker

Today is his birthday! He's 2/14 today.  

This little man has my heart.  I needed him, and he need me.  Tucker is the only thing that kept me going through my bad times.  He such a sweet and loving little man!  I'm so lucky to have him! 

I bleed red and blue...

     As you know, all Southern children are raised to have faith in the good Lord above and follow college football.  I, being on of those blessed children, have grown up loving the Ole Miss Rebels.  I came to a few games when I was younger.  When it came time to apply to colleges, the University of Mississippi was the only one I applied for.  I loved every second of being in Oxford, MS.  After graduation, I moved away to start a teaching career that I enjoy.       Today's ball game was the first one I had attended in years.  Even though we lost ridiculously, a sense of nostaglia crept over me.  I saw one of my best friends from Ole Miss this weekend.  I haven't seen her in 5 years.  You often miss people you are away from more than you realize.  The beautiful thing about Lindsey and I is that we've been apart for 5 years, but it only feels like 5 minutes.  This fine Rebel weekend I have experienced brought back many memories and super important people back into my life.