Rainy Sunday

"Rain, Rain, go away. Come again another day. All the world is waiting for the sun."

Today has just been a sad day for me. Rainy days are always harder for me. Today, rain fell from a dark, gloomy sky. I looked out of the window while I did laundry, and what I saw reminded me of a certain rainy Sunday of the past. Yes, rainy days are harder, but rainy Sundays are the most difficult.

On days like this, I stay quiet. I find something to clean, laundry to fold, or dishes to wash. I enjoy the silence. I appreciate the solitude. I do some of my best thinking on rainy Sundays. Today, I worried. I hate hearing that he's in pain. I hate wondering if he's scared. I've never seen fear in his eyes before. I'd like to keep it that way. He's always reminded me of the scarecrow on Wizard of Oz, because he was wise without ever knowing it. If I was ever lost or scared, and then saw his face, I'd immediately be at ease. He can fix any problem. He always stays calm. He has to win this battle.

Please, don't let me be wrong.

Russell's Septoplasty

Today, my sweet boyfriend had to go under the knife. Because his nose was broken, he had to have his deviated septum repaired. The procedure is called a Septoplasty, and it is actually a complex surgery. The surgery lasted for one hour, and the recovery lasted for over two hours. His nose looks great! There is very little swelling and no bruising so far, which is great news! He is in a great deal of pain, though, and it kills me to see him hurting so badly. When Russell and I walked into The Surgery Center, I saw John and Eloise Sawyer! I was so touched by the kindness they showed by being there for Russell before his surgery. It meant so much to both of us, and I appreciate them taking their time to come. They are both wonderful people, and it is obvious that they really do care about our church family. They have been a blessing to all of us during these hard times. After John and Eloise left, my mom came. I am so thankful to have a mother who is there for me, as well as the love of my life. She sat with me for hours, and she will never know how much that meant to Russell and me. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mom! She treats Russell like family, and it brightened up his day to see her face after he woke up in recovery. I hope she knows how thankful I am for her constant support! I wouldn't trade moms with anybody in the entire world. Mom might not be perfect, but she has a heart of gold. And, when you get down to it, that is ALL that matters. I just got off of the phone with Gail, who called to check on Russell. I know a lot of people, and even though there are SO many amazing people in my life, I have to admit that Gail is my favorite person in the world. She is always there for me. She understands me. She knows my faults, but they just don't matter to her. She loves me unconditionally, and I have no idea what my life would be like if she weren't such a huge part of it. Other people have called Mom to check on Russell, and I'd like to thank all of them, too. Everyone opened their hearts to Russell at our church, and I have never been happier! It's so wonderful to be in love with a person who also loves all of the people that are so important in my life. I would never be able to be with someone who did not see in my church family exactly what I see. He really does love that church. He really loves my family. He really loves my church family. He really does love my friends. And, he really, really, REALLY does love me! We occasionally argue over stupid things, but I know that as we continue to grow and mature, these petty arguments will become more rare as time goes on. And, even if they don't, I'll still love him just the same. I want to spend the rest of my life loving and learning with him, and if that is God's will, then I know that it will happen. He may be in a lot of pain today, but we are going to make it through it just fine. Thank you all for your thoughts, phone calls, and prayers. They mean more than you will ever know. I love you all so much!

HLT

MORE Spring Break pictures!

Me & Laura

My sweet!

I got tackled playing football.

My wife enjoys taking random photographs, haha! :)

Me & Lester (His real name is Brent. I should probably mention that)

I guess I was too lazy to sit up and join this picture!

I love my wife!

Me, Laura, Alex, and Lauren

Michael, Goon, Wife, Lauren, Lester, Me, Russell, Will, and Alex

Me, Lester, and Wife :)

This night was interesting, to say the least!

We are going to form a family band.

Me & Russ at The Boathouse

I should have just gone to sleep. Oh, well!

Do you try & treat others as you would want to be treated?:

I think that for a long time, I failed to think about the way I made other people feel. This means that I also did not consider how I would feel if the tables were turned. But, I can say that I really do try to do this now. I still fail sometimes, but I am definitely trying.

Does price or brand REALLY matter?:

I am really not the best grocery shopper in the world. That's about all I can say.

Who comes first in your life?:

I really do not know. I haven't thought about this lately. Every single day is different, and I think that it depends on what the day brings.

If you could help better the world,would you?:

I think that's why we're all here. We are all trying to find out what kind of mark we were meant to make while we're on Earth. Everybody wants to make a difference. Everybody wants to be remembered for doing something that changed the world. That's the easy part. That's a given. The real battle comes with trying to find out HOW we can make that mark, make a difference, and be remembered. That's where faith comes into the picture. That's the reason we're all trying to follow whatever path God has for us. We want to believe that He meant for us to do great things with our time here. It means that He is real, and that he believes in us as much as we do Him. It's the beauty of life.

If so,how?:

However I'm meant to.

Do you think it matters what others think of you?:

I think that it is really hard when others think something about me that I feel is unfair. I think that it really hurts to have someone say things about you that are not true. I think that it does matter what other people think. If I believe that I am a truly wonderful person, but everyone else thinks that I am horrible, then the problem is probably the perception I have of the type of person I am. However, I also believe that there are some people who will not like the type of person that I am, and I will not change myself just to make certain people like me. There is a big difference between everybody and certain people.

Are you able to have more than 1 friend at a time?:

Uh, seriously? I am not in elementary school. I would be miserable with just one friend. I like them all. They add SO much to my life!

What type of news grabs your attention the most?:

News about people that I know, I'd say.

Wish you could change anything in your life?:

Well, as nice as it would be to suddenly have millions of dollars and a few degrees, I'm pretty sure I would be the laziest sack of lard in the world if I had everything that I wanted. Oh, and life would be extremely boring. That would really suck.

Do you think all those close to you are always honest with you?:

I don't think anybody is ALWAYS honest with ANYBODY.

If you could remove 1 thing from the world,what would it be?:

Guns.

In any case,do you feel it's ok to cheat?:

Obviously, I would never win a board game if I did not cheat. :) Don't worry, I'm pretty open about this cheating, haha! It is not hidden very well.

What is your opinion on the world today?:

I think that our opinion of the world today will match the opinions of other people from different time periods. There has always been hate, war, anger, love, secrets, and insecurity. People have always thought that the world was ending. People have always looked back at the way things were when they were children and thought about how much simpler life was then. Times change... but the nature of human beings remains constant.

Who can you count on the most?:

I've been leaning pretty heavily on God lately. He is always there!

You always wanted to....?:

go to Europe.

Believe in "what goes around comes around"?:

Absolutely.

know any good sites or info that others may benefit from?:

I go to FMyLife.com every single day that I feel like I've had the worst day ever. Then, I laugh A LOT. We all love it, and it is hilarious!

You win a million playing lotto,would you help /share with others?:

I already have my charities picked out in case this ever happens!

Money DOES make the world go around because...?:

there is a price to everything...

All kids should have...?:

the chance to have great health care and solid educations.

What is one thing you will not give up?:

my dreams!

Would you risk your life to save a life?:

I don't think that anybody thinks before they put themselves in this situation. The people who do risk their lives to save another do it because of instinct.

What has been your mood while answering these questions?:

I'm really, REALLY exhausted. I'm going to go to sleep now. Goodnight.

Spring Break 2009

Me & Russ

Destin, FL :)

Beach Bums :)

xoxo!

Lester has the best laugh EVER!

Two of my favorite people in the world- wife & goon!

Michael and Goon

L.C.M.L.M.R.S.- he has long initials, haha!

T Goon!

Russell's lovely photography...haha!

They were attempting to build a table. It didn't work out as planned, haha!

Michael

Love him! :)

I'll post the rest tomorrow!

-xoxo-

HLT

tan lines and good times :)

We FINALLY saw the sunshine today! We spent all day on the beach. It was absolutely beautiful! The weather should continue to be as wonderful all week as it was today. I'm extremely happy about this, naturally. Even though we've had rain all week, we have all had a blast. I have really enjoyed getting away from the real world. I'm not going to be happy when I have to return to Alabama on Saturday, that's for sure!

Every night, we sit out on the balcony and talk about ridiculous things. So far, that has been my favorite part of the trip. I have laughed so hard that I thought I could have possibly pulled muscles in my abdomen, haha! My friends are amazing, to say the least. I am truly blessed :)

I have forced myself to not think about work I need to do for school while I'm here. I NEED to take a break from this stressful semester. I keep praying that things will improve. I know that they will! GOD IS GOOD!!!

I hope everyone is having a great break. I miss seeing my church family, especially. Happy Birthday, Uncle Randall! I love you and am thinking of you! :) Also, a huge thanks to my parents for taking care of my dogs while I'm gone. Oh, and the financial support is REALLY appreciated, too! I love you both very much!

Take care! God bless! :)
Haley

PS- Pictures will be posted as soon as I return. I forgot to bring my cord to upload them! I never pack everything that I need for a trip. Oops!

Finally, Spring Break 2009 is here!

I am heading to Auburn tonight. Tomorrow morning, we're heading to Destin. We've rented a house there until next Saturday. Our group is: Goon, Laura, Lester, Me, Russell, Michael, Lauren, Will, Alex, and Jenny. :) We are going to have a blast! I really needed this break. It's been a rough semester, to say the least. I hope everyone has a safe and happy break from school. I'll post pictures when I get back!

xoxo
hlt

Don't expect an apology for this one.

Once upon a time, a critic went to see a play. He wrote an article that called this particular play "absolute rubbish." He said that the man who wrote this play was "the least talented author" of their time. The play this critic saw was "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The "least talented author" of their time, according to this particular critic, was William Shakespeare. It is extremely rare to find a person who does not know who William Shakespeare is. In fact, almost everybody can name at least one of his works. However, the name of this critic has been lost in history. He did not make a difference. In the world of literature, his words meant absolutely nothing. What if Shakespeare had taken this critic seriously? What if he had stopped writing simply because someone else decided that he had no talent?

William Shakespeare certainly isn't the only author who has received harsh criticism. In fact, every piece of literature that I have studied has been bashed by someone at some point. Benjamin Franklin said, "Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do."

William Wordsworth said, "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." Today, this blog is my paper, and I am going to fill it. I am going to say everything that I would normally hold back. Reading my words is your choice, and if you become offended, it is because you made the wrong choice. The only thing I have chosen to do is write it, and I will never be wrong for writing anything that I honestly feel. What is the point of having such an exciting freedom if I am too afraid to enjoy it?

Everything doesn't have to make sense. There are some people that I just do not like. I may not ever like these people, and it makes no difference to me if they understand why I feel this way. I do not have to apologize for feeling the way that I do about anything. Why should I have to hide the fact that I absolutely cannot stand someone? I really do not know any person that has liked every person he or she met. It just does not happen. I cannot pretend to like someone who constantly judges all kinds of people, but tells others to think about what Jesus would think if He were beside them. I have studied The Bible extensively. I took The Bible as Literature as a college course, and I had the pleasure of listening to a very wise man talk about The Bible for 21 years. I pulled out my bible tonight to search for this particular verse.

"Do not judge lest you be judged. "For in the way that you judge you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

My friends are my backbone. I do not mistreat them. I keep their secrets. We are all very open to each other about EVERYTHING. We do not get embarrassed around each other, no matter what the situation is. On a serious note, we've all screwed up. Some of us are really bad a lot of things, honestly. We say stupid things, do stupid things, and make stupid decisions sometimes. We also happen to love the fact that we seem to have the worst luck imaginable. We sit around and tell stories of these really stupid, bad, awkward, or strange things, and we just laugh at it. We laugh at ourselves, we laugh at each other, and we laugh at other people. It's true. We laugh so hard that our sides ache. Most of us have been friends for many years, and since we're all young, that is a pretty fantastic thing to be able to say. The reason we have all remained so close is because we treat each other with respect. We have shared many adventures. If you have ever heard of any of our vacations, you know that nothing ever goes as planned. In fact, we really stopped planning anything a long time ago. When we're all together, I sometimes feel like we went back in time. We were just a group of kids in a boring town, raising hell, getting in trouble, breaking the rules, and talking about what life would be like when we got older. Right in the middle of this thought, someone will say something really profound, and I think, "Who is this grownup?" Then, it hits me. We've grown up. We've come so far. We've been through so much. We're more than just adventure, bad luck, and laughter. We are proof that true friendship can last forever.

I will NEVER be too old to take risks. We only get ONE life. Why miss out on something because of fear? I cannot begin to try and count how many times I've heard people say that their biggest fear is FAILURE. There is so much evil in the world, but people are most scared of failing? If failure was my biggest fear, I would have scared myself to death a long time ago. I've probably failed more times than I have succeeded. Actually, go ahead and take "probably" out of that sentence. It's a fact. It is not important, though. All that matters to me is that I did not fail every single time. I have experienced much success in my life. To be honest, I had just as much fun failing as I did succeeding. It is all part of my story. It all happened for a reason. Some of my risks came with some pretty terrible consequences, but it was still worth it. The same people who judge everybody for screwing up are the same people who missed out on great experiences because they were afraid. Maybe you can call me a failure, but you certainly cannot call me a coward.

I AM A PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE HOMOSEXUAL COMMUNITY. I'm not gay, but some of the people that I love the most are gay. Marriage is about love, not gender. The love between a gay couple is just as wonderful as the love between a heterosexual couple. I hope that my generation changes the laws regarding gay marriage. There are people in our world who honestly believe that love is a choice, and because these people happen to be heterosexual, they can get married. At the same time, there are people who wish that they could change who they love so they could be what society tells them they "should" be. But, they cannot control who they love, no matter how hard they may try. When these people fall in love, it is unstoppable. This kind of love happens so quickly that people rarely see it coming. It makes absolutely no sense. So, we try to deny it, fight it, or ignore it. This kind of love always prevails over logic, though. This kind of love is powerful. Sometimes, the people who fall into love this way happen to be homosexual. However, they cannot get married. Their love is not recognized as valid. Not everybody deserves to find true love, honestly. We all need love, but I do not believe that everybody deserves it. HOWEVER, ALL TRUE LOVE IS VALID!!!!!

I know of the evils of our world. How did we get to this point? Where did this cruelty come from? When did this hatred become so strong? Did it find us? Or, did we seek it without ever realizing it? People fall in love, get married, and have babies. One day, parents look at their children and realize that they're grown up. So, they send them out into the world. It is like sending soldiers off to war. They all know that there is evil everywhere, and all parents wonder if this evil will find the hearts of their children. Will the children win the battle against evil? Will the soldiers make it home from the war? We hope that they all have a safe return, but in the back of our minds, we know that some will be lost along the way. We all fight battles of our own. Some people are evil, fighting against good. Some people tell lies just to make it through the day, while others make the choice to face the truth. There are good men, struggling to swim in a sea of temptation. Some people choose to not fight at all, and they spend their entire lives running away. Some people are fighting to find their way home. There are all kinds of people in this world. There are all kinds of evil. What I've noticed is that there are people who talk about how wise, good, and decent they are, and then there are people who never even think to say these things about themselves. When someone really is wise, good, and decent, people figure it out without having to be told. The devil mixes lies with the truth, and that's why I fear anyone who tries too hard to convince everyone of their high morals. That is just how I feel.

Seriously, if you get upset and offended easily, I suggest you buy a BIG box of tissues, because life is tough. Nobody is going to put your feelings first if they do not like you, and there will always be people who don't like you. This will be especially true if you think that other people should show you respect that you have never shown them.

Now, I'm going to go back to what I have always done on this blog. I have always written from the heart. If you're that concerned with the contents of my heart, then do not come back here again. It's simple.

:)

get out of this place while you still have time

What have I gotten myself into?
What is it that I still see in you?
My reflection is one of a stranger,
Full of mystery, full of danger



Where is that girl, that brave dreamer?
Do you know her? Have you seen her?
Is she out there fighting the battles of the world?
Does she wish she were still that strong little girl?


Is my heart really made of stone?
Is all of my hope already gone?
Come back to be, sweet motivation.
Please, take away all complication.


I lost everything, and it set me free.
But, it also took away a part of me.
The puzzle box spilled onto the floor
The wind blew the pieces out of the door.


Pieces of me were gone with the wind,
And I know that I’ll never see them again.
Parts of my past went into the sky,
And at that moment, I learned how to fly.


When I do not know just what to say
I remember how free I felt that day
Then, just as I did before
I pour the pieces onto the floor.

No, I am NOT naked!

:)

I recently made my myspace public. Even though I've learned that there are people who would use this as an opportunity to find some kind of dirt on me, I'm not worried. I have nothing to hide, and the reason I've always liked Myspace is because it allows users to make their profiles as personal as they want. You can check mine out at www.myspace.com/hlt577

Enjoy :)

xoxo,
Haley