Waiting on my camera...

It is hard to get motivated to post when my camera still has not arrived in the mail. I think it will be here Monday! Well, we are into our second week in the Adventures of Granny & Rachel!

Here are some things that stand out in my mind after this first few days together:

1. I have made approximately 267 U-turns in my first few days of living here. Nevermind that I should know my way around after years of coming here for the summer.

2. Maps give me anxiety.

3. Oversleeping when you are in charge of feeding someone else is not good.

4. After 8 pm... I pour a cup of coffee or diet coke, turn on the Hallmark channel and get into a crafting zone. I have to force myself to go to bed at midnight.

5. Hearing aides are also referred to as earrings. Makes me smile.

6. Target & Starbucks just go together.

7. Being close to cousins has already proved to be a blast!

8. Yes, it is hard. But, YES it is a blessing to be here. God is showing me every minute of every day what it means to love and serve with His strength and not my own.

9. My meal schedule is now breakfast at 8 am, lunch at noon and dinner at 5:30.

10. I have made my bed for the most consecutive days EVER in my life. Granny likes her beds made.

11. I love chatting with my family on Skype and I am glad we are in the same time zone.

I am sure there is so much more but these are the things that stood out in my mind the strongest. Get ready... the camera will be here soon!

Two of a Kind

What do you get when a directionally challenged person asks a person who has a hard time remembering things (and difficulty seeing) directions to Hobby Lobby?

A 45 minute drive that included lots of lefts and rights, lots of laughing and lots of uncertainty.

Finally after 45 minutes of driving around I called my aunt, but she did not really know where the Hobby Lobby was. I decided to pull over and use my GPS on my phone. I know you are wondering why I did not do that in the first place. Well, it's simple... directionally challenged people have a difficult time with maps (and remember I am one of those people.) I see a map and all I want to do is scream.

It was in that moment that I looked up and spotted the Hobby Lobby sign. We had been saved! Laughter erupted in the car and Grandma was quite thrilled that she had led me there after all.

I ran inside, grabbed the goods and then made the 15 minute drive home.

Looking forward to more adventures in the life of Granny & Rach...

I felt like numbers...

Every Friday Grandma goes to the beauty shop (aka- a woman who does hair in her garage and has forever). This means that every Friday I have a little over an hour for scheduled "me time."

As I left Grandma, I was not sure what I wanted to do. Should I: 1. Sit at Starbucks and read? 2. Drive around and simply explore? Or 3. Go to Target.

Number 1 sounded good but I have plenty of time to sit around. Number 2 is never fun for the directionally challenged people in the world and I happen to be one of those people. Number 3 could be dangerous due to the fact that I love Target. However, I decided to go there for numerous reasons. I know how to get there and get back to the beauty garage. We needed toilet paper. It offered a chance for me to walk around my happy place. So, off I went.

The Results or Damage... depending on perspective:

1. Super Targets have Starbucks. I did not have time to make it to the Super Target so I went to plain old Target. This plain old Target has Starbucks!!! Wahoo for Caramel Brulee Lattes. Pure yumminess and even better thanks to some "going away" gift cards.

2. Toilet paper. This is neccessary.

3. Amazing storage stuff to help get my Scrapbook/ Craft area ready to go! (I did have to make another trip Saturday morning to get a few more things). Here is a pic of my work in progress. I cannot wait to get busy crafting!

4. My Friday Tradition is born. Starbucks while walking around Target. Who can argue with that?

Changing Seasons

There is no way to ignore the changing of the seasons. They will come whether we are prepared or not. They will come even when we are wanting to hold on to the previous season just a little bit longer. I have always loved the changing of seasons. Let's be honest, I love change and often crave change.

Life's seasons also have a way of changing, like it or not. I am currently in the process of one of those changing seasons. The stirring of my heart has been happening for quite some time now. I knew God was preparing me for something new and different but was not quite sure what that would be. I began working on teacher recertification and looking at ways to get back into the community.

However, God knew what the change would be and was steadily preparing my heart. In case you have not heard, my grandmother is amazing. She loves Jesus, her family and others. She has reached a stage in her life where living alone is just not possible or safe. Deep within my heart I have always known that taking care of her would be an incredible blessing.

As we began to realize more and more it was time to make this decision, God continued to stir my heart in a way that I could not ignore. After much prayer and conversation with my family, we all agreed on a plan. I would move to Oklahoma City to live with my grandma. I have lots of family here and they have been taking care of her 24/7 while trying to work and care for families. I am honored and blessed to be able to spend this time with my grandma while helping my family.

I know this season will be filled with lots of good times and challenging times. I know that exhaustion will hit. I know we will laugh until we cry or just plain cry. I know that I will miss my family & friends in Tyler.

But there is nothing better than knowing you are right where God wants you, in the season of life that He has planned for you since before you were born and that is where I am today.