Ya’ll. I love that word. You can’t say it without having a drawl. And welp! We’re in Texas ya’ll! My boyfriends daughters were told this was a bad word, because the mom doesn’t like that word. You –all. Ya’ll. Seems perfectly logical to me!  Go to California they LOVE the southern twang & will ask you to say ya’ll a hundred times.

California is one of my favorite places. Nice people & no they don’t have an accent. I lost my twang a bit when I moved to the big city.  I pick it right back up when I go home or hang around people that talk with an accent which is what happened when my friend Ron came to visit.

Ron & his 3 little boys were visiting from Steele, MO. It’s a town near the Arkansas border & the Ozarks. Boy did those boys talk cute! I wanted to take them ALL home with me! (why yes I do steal other peoples children HA) They were so polite too Thaaaaaank Youuuuuuuuu they would drawl when the waitress would bring them another coke. I am actually a girl person. I have a girl, my boyfriend has girls and being around boys  I was a little worried,  but like with any kids they took to me like an old friend. I hugged,  his oldest Lee,  when I saw him for the 1st time and he had never met me before in my life! They surrounded me w/their cute drawls & we played with my camera & took pics of their dad. What a great dinner we had! My friend Deanna & her boy & her friend Joey were there too but the boys had all my attention. The littlest one told me he could drink a whole cup of hot salsa! And he could eat hot chips too! The middle one LOVED Hannah Montana! Too funny! And the oldest had just been in a bible quiz contest & his team won 2nd place in the State! Smart kids! I really meant it when I said they could spend a few weeks in the summer with me! LOL. I am no longer afraid of little boys. Bring it on! Bring me a dozen!!!(hope that doesn’t come back to bite me)

I have always been easygoing with children, anyone’s children friends, or relatives. Even the shyest of children will warm up to me with time. I think it’s inherited. My mom was a preschool teacher. My Great Aunt was a teacher. My mom’s mom was a teacher! It’s in the genes that children gravitate towards us & us to them. I work in the nursery at Church every other week. I am the class leader of the Puppies which are 18month olds. We & another leader typically have 6 children. Our job? To play with them. To love them. To show them joy & the love Jesus has for them.  It is my favorite thing in the world! The regulars get to know you & they reach their little arms up for hugs as soon as I walk in & say their name. I’m not sure who feels the love that we are showing them more me or them. Either way it’s a blessing to me. And it always seems God knows when I need a hug  because,  I end up on the floor w/3 of them around my neck.

I used to volunteer at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. That was my before Church daycare fill up. I volunteered 3-4 hours once a week on Monday nights. My job there was to hold fussy or unheld babies. I didn’t have to feed them or burp them or change them or even check their tubes or medicine. Nope just HOLD them. I would snuggle them close to my chest & I would envision my heart pouring love into their broken bodies. I would envision that love enveloping their parents & caretakers. I would pray over them at that time

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

One version says give you rest which they so badly needed. Especially the babies that were born addicted to drugs. It was so hard to settle them down & when they weren’t held just the right way or if they were laid in their bed unattended they would scream. Not just a baby crying I mean a piercing SCREECH that repeated over & over at full volume. It was awful. It was tragic. It was heartbreaking. So I would rock & pray & pour my heart into those little bodies. And I’d hope one day they’d be big & strong & whole.

It was such a thrill to see one heading home. I’d ask the nurse & she’d tell me yes they were going home & I’d be over the moon for them & their parents. Their parent’s faces would be just lit up. Some of them were not born w/a disease or ailment they were just born too early. I held babies 2,3lbs & held them as they grew until at 12lbs they were headed home (6mos later).6 MONTHS they had to wait for their baby to go home. 6 months they waited anxious & scared for it to grow big enough to survive. It was really such an awesome feeling to work there & give my time for that experience & that hospitals need. Sadly when I moved job locations my 4yrs of volunteering had to come to an end. My new shift & job location did not allow me enough time to make it there for my volunteer time. I know that is on hold for now but I will get back there someday.  It was definitely a God place. I will definitely revisit.

That’s all I got from here for now. Be blessed today Ya’ll!