A Love Story for All Time

When I was 17, my dad and I went on a special trip to NYC after HS graduation. My plan was to enter Meredith College in the fall to study musical theatre. Knowing this, my dad and I went to several Broadway shows while in NY. These shows were all amazing, but my favorite show that we saw was Miss Saigon (featuring Lea Salonga). Not long after we saw it in NY did the show close after being on Broadway for 10 years. This made me so sad b/c I thought that I would never get the chance to see this show again. While I did buy the CD and do own a DVD with clips of the show on it, it still would not be enough to satisfy my longing to see the full production again. Well, to my surprise, last summer I received an email stating that Miss Saigon was being revived and will be touring the US in 2009!!! My wonderful parents bought me tickets to the show for my birthday back in October and this past weekend we got to see the show! Chris and I also invited our good friends, the Mehaffie's, the the show with us as well as my parents (a gift my sister and I gave my mom for her birthday). So we all got to experience it together. With the exception of my dad and I, this was the first viewing for everyone else. It was such a wonderful night (despite the rain) and I fell in love with the story all over again. I always said that if I were to choose one role to play in a Broadway musical, it would be Kim from Miss Saigon. However, not being of the Asian culture, this was never a realistic dream :) But the show was everything I remembered it to be and I was SO sad when it was over! Maybe it will be revived again in another 10 years and I'll have the opportunity to share it with my future children :)

Here are a few pictures from our night at the theatre!

this is a picture of the Saigon backdrop and Mr. Ray Walker (a legend at the North Carolina Theatre) giving the pre-show announcements

the Harrell's and the Mehaffie's

the Harrell's and the Strong's (my mom and dad)

Chris and I right before the show started - SOOO excited!

Luke and Rockie (pre-show)

mom and dad (pre-show)

Abundance of Blessings

Yesterday I felt lke I was overwhelmed by an abundance of blessings. I'm so fortunate to have family and friends that love me and care for me so much. It's been a difficult couple of weeks and I've had to overcome many doubts that Satan has poured into my mind, but then, right on time, God shows up and blesses me through the people He has placed in my life. First, there's my sweet friend, Kelly, whom I just adore. She's so busy lately and has so much going on, but this past weekend she really took the time to just catch up with me and remind me about why I love her so much.If ever I asked for a friend who would be everything I needed in a friend, I have found that in Kelly. So I'm blessed through encouraging, supportive, and loving friends! Then there's my amazing grandparents!.I received a phone call last week from my Papa just letting me know that he and my Mema love me, are praying for me, and believe that I will be successful in starting this new business. They were encouraging and supportive, and most of all, proud of me for taking on this new adventure. That alone was enough to boost my spirits and provide the motivation that I was needing to press on. But then yesterday I received a check in the mail - a "donation" of sorts for Simply Divine Designs. They believe so much in what I'm doing and my ability to be successful at it that they have chosen to support financially as well. I am still overwhelmed. Their goodness and generosity is far more than I could ever ask for. "Thank you so much, mema & papa, again, from the bottom of my heart." I vow not to disappoint you. And as if these undeserved blessings are not enough to humble me already, I also received a package in the mail yesterday containing a certain Easter dress that I fell in love with but was not able to purchase for myself. Unbeknownced to me, my parents bought me this dress as an act of love and encouragement. I loved this dress so much and was so hoping to be able to purchase it for Easter, but then came face to face with my own finacial limitations as of late and just knew that it probably would not be a possibility to have. These days, we're more focused on actual daily needs rather than wants. Plus, I did have other dressses to choose from already in my closet. However, without even discussing any of this with my parents, they went ahead and purchased the dress for me. I was totally surprised when I opened the package yesterday and saw it lying there in front of me. Instantly I tried it on and it fit like a glove. Mom said that my size was the only size left in the store, so we think it was kismet and believe that it was meant to be just for me :) "Mom and dad, thank you so much for this beautiful dress! I can't wait to wear it and take family Easter pictures in it! Now I'll have this story to tell every time I look at those pictures!" So, as you can see, I have many reasons to be thankful and humbled by the people in my life. I don't know what I have ever done to deserve such goodness, but I am so appreciative of it. My spirit is encouraged and I feel so loved.