i think this blog is becoming about my beautiful family! (but i promise to not become one of those annoying people!)

with my cousin-sister Shea (top) with Shanon and James (middle) ; and with my sissy Amber (bottom);

This past weekend was one of my favorite since I've been back home...
Saturday night my cousin, Shanon, threw a 40th Bday surprise party for her hubby James. It was SO good to see so many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins...some I had not seen in years. We danced and laughed and talked the night away!! Check out the pics...

Then on Sunday I went to my home Church, King's Chapel, where the Dempseys were also visiting that Sunday. It is always great to be back there, but this Sunday was just special. I felt as though God were just loving me through these old friendships. Good hugs mean a lot to me I'm realizing! My favorite one came from Mr. Pearson, an eldery man whose love for me is such a reflection of God's love for me...undeserved, unexplainable, rewarding and sincere. OH, that dear man.

It was all such a blessing! And so much a reminder of how much being loved by people is transformational especially when we see it as a reflection of the constant, unconditional love of Jesus.

my sweet little daddy

Okay, enough of no pics with the Pops...we finally got some and they're not too shabby :) Saturday my dad's one brother, of 6 sibblings, who lives out of state came down and we met up...visiting the old house they grew up in and celebrating Tyre's and Mike's bdays...it was great to see three of the five brothers together again :)


terry, mike (dad's second oldest brother and wife), dad, me, tyre (dad's oldest brother) and andrea (my cousin...mike and terry's daughter)


with my daddy and angel (step mom)

things pondered...

"No one can give you what you already have."


"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion." Psalm 84:6,7


"And this is me on my best day."

I’ve been feeling kind of restless
I’ve been feeling out of place
I can hear a distant singing
A song that I can’t write
And it echoes of what
I’m always trying to say
There’s a feeling I can’t capture
It’s always just a prayer away
I want to know the ending
Things hoped for but not seen
But I guess that’s the point of hoping anyway
Of going home,
I’ll meet you at the table
Going home,
I’ll meet you in the air
And you are never too young to think about it
Oh, I cannot wait to be home
I’m confined by my senses
To really know what you are like
You are more than I can fathom
And more than I can guess
And more than I can see with you in sight
But I have felt you with my spirit
I have felt you fill this room
And this is just an invitation
Just a sample of the whole
And I cannot wait to be going home
Going home, I’ll meet you at the table
Going home, I’ll meet you in the air
And you are never too young to think about it
Oh, I cannot wait to be going, to be going home
Face to face, how can it be
Face to face, how can it be
Face to face, how can it be
Cuz this is just an invitation
Just a sample of the whole
And I cannot wait to be going home

on becoming a princess

Yes, I am officially Princess Heather of Disney Downtown. Crowned on January 7, 2005 along with Princess Allison and Princess Jenny. It was a fabulous ordination...pomp and cheer! Along with being crowned, we ate free chocolates from Ghiradelli, played with Legos at the Lego World (see the Lego dogs in pic) and any and all of the other 3 things you can do for FREE at Disney World ;)

Our trip to Orlando included dinner with Pinta, Roberta and Marina - who flew in from Brazil just for a taste of some Americanized churrasco.

We also spent 3 days in a lovely little home with old friends Lee and Joy Knight and Demps and Kristy Dempsey....Kristy being our star Marathon runner...coming in 11, 239 place in just 6 hours! Now that's when you know you've found a true woman - one who can get up at 3am, wait in the cold til 6am and then run for 6 hours non-stop and still go out for Churrasco that night! She's my heroin. Though I'm not sure Princesses are to have heroes of any sort.

(lego dogs, people)

Last Days of 2005...nothing boring here!

Well, the last weeks and days of 2005 proved to be full ones...I visited many cities, 3 CO Christmas Conferences and 3 states in 2 weeks and got to catch up with a lot of old and dear friends. God really used my travels to renew my vision and remind me of what's really important to me and most importantly what's important to Him. I feel like my heart has been refreshed with the gospel and encouraged by the lives of so many friends who are walking with Jesus and experiencing the trials and errors, the up and downs, the battles wounds and victories of this life. Face to Face was the theme of one conference I went to and that's what I feel happened: I came Face to Face with Jesus and I walk away with hope and desire.

The last night of 2005 was also spent with old and new friends here in Atlanta...we rang in the New Year with a bang....

Mac (new friend), Rachel, Kristy, Boojie, yours truly and Paige

As I think back over the last year...wow, it's amazing all that has happened, all the places God has taken me - both geographically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I can only be thankful. It's been a tough year, perhaps one of the hardest yet, but I don't think I've ever been so convinced of God's love for me and for that I wouldn't change a thing! In all the bits of pain and dissapointment, I see love and hope and growth shining through.

My hope for 2006 is that it would be just as lively, just as transforming, just as life-giving even if it cost just as much.