It's nice being Home

It has been about three years since I have gotten to partake in normal day to day activities with my family.  Even though I have loved being in Texas, I still missed it!  So much has changed since I have been gone.  Friday night, I went with my sister and cousins to a Friday night movie outside at our local Civic Center.  It was so fun to just be able to hang 

out without the thoughts of only having a few more days to see them during a short visit. 

I do not know how much longer I will be able to do this, because I honestly have no idea what is in store for my life, but while I am here I'm going to enjoy it!

Me and Kaley (Candace's little girl)

Candace, Me, and Sis

Me and My Cousin, Sis (AKA:  Kristen- Long story, but we have called her Sis her whole life.)

Me and Logan (My cousin, Candace's, little boy.  Candace is Sis' sister.)

Me and My Sister

"Blogs I read"

So I just posted some of the blogs I like to read.  I will go ahead and admit that I do not know any of these people, but I'm assuming if you put your life on a blog, you want to share it with the world.  

Some of the families are just interesting (2 of them have quads) and others have amazing stories to share.  

I found most of these people by just clicking on other people's blogs.

Hope you enjoy them!

Goin to the Chapel.....

Well this past weekend was a much anticipated event...... one of my best friends got married. The wedding was beautiful (as was the bride!) and in my opinion the whole event could not have went any better.

Most of the wedding party was from Gardendale, so it ended up being a great reunion!  At the reception there were more G'dale people and I loved getting to see everyone!  There are so many people that have been called to other places, but yet there is just a bond that you have with these people.  It's so fun to just hang out with them!

Here is a recap of the weekend......  

I left after work on Wednesday and headed up to Memphis. I didn't get there until late Wednesday night, but that still gave me and Linz some time to practice her hair for the wedding (I did her hair and makeup).  

Thursday morning we got up and went to the Nail Salon for manicures and pedicures.  My nails are hopeless so I just enjoyed the pedicure.  After that Linz and I went to the mall.  I decided I wasn't happy with the dress I brought for the rehearsal dinner, so I treated myself to a new one. Which I am very glad I did that!  Except for some reason all of the bridesmaids wore black and white, and I was wearing an orange/red dress.  Let's just say I was easy to find within the crowd.  

I am so glad we got to spend a little time together before everything got so hectic.  She and I have really only been good friends for about 3 1/2 years.  And most of that time I have been in Dallas.  So most of our relationship has been over the phone...... which I think is crazy but awesome!  (On a side note... I have great friends and instead of friendships fading when I moved, most of them just got stronger!  And I made new friends in the process.... I love it!) But when Linz and I do have some time to hang out, we have to savor those moments because they are few and far between.

Thursday night was the lingerie shower.  It was so much fun!  And that's about all the details I can say about that!

All of the bridesmaids came in before the Lingerie shower, so most of us spent the night together on Thursday night.  It was so fun catching up with these girls I hadn't seen in such a long time.

Friday we got up (about 8 of us got ready at the same house) and went to the Bridesmaids Luncheon.  We were actually on time, despite the fact that I was finishing getting ready in the car.  But seriously.... that's not surprising to a lot of people.  And in my defense I was helping some people finish their hair.  The luncheon was at a tea room type place.  The food was very tasty!  The dessert was fabulous!

After the luncheon we were able to go back to the house and get some much needed rest.  

After resting several of the girls and I went to the hotel and checked in for the night before the wedding.  No way all of us would be able to get ready the morning of the wedding in the same house.

Friday night was the Rehearsal dinner.  Once again, it was fun to hang out with

people that have been great friends at some point in my life, but I haven't seen them in forever! I also made some new friends through the whole process.

Saturday was great!  I didn't have to be at the church until 1pm.  Which meant that I didn't have to get up early.  So around 9am, several of us met in the lobby for breakfast at the hotel.  And again, I loved seeing and catching up with people that I haven't seen in forever.  Unless you just knew, you would have never known we hadn't hung out in years!  

However, I really wasn't expecting the lobby of the hotel to be full of Gardendale people I hadn't seen in 3 years...... I looked terrible and that was not the way I was hoping to run into them!

I got ready the best I could and then headed to the church.  Linz was already there so we started on her hair right away.  I started feeling the pressure of how important it was that her hair looked great that day!  Not only was it the most important day of her life, but around 1500

 people would be there to see it.  But it was fabulous hair!  Some of my best to date!  I'm pretty sure it was exactly what she wanted!  Makeup was great too!

After the wedding it was time for the reception, which went by so fast!  And then before

 we knew it, they were off!

I'm so excited for them!  I can't wait until she gets back so we can review the wedding and see if it was as great to her as it was to everyone else (which I am positive it was!). 

Here are a few pictures of the weekend....

Bridesmaid Luncheon

 Lingerie Shower

And they're off....

Me and "The Wingos"

The bridesmaids singing and dancing before we walked out.

And then the icing on the cake was that I got to see these people.....

Da, Dum, Da Dum, Daaaaa, Da.......

.......That my friends is the graduation march song (Incase you couldn't tell).

Yesterday, I received a graduation packet in the mail.  It was definitely a dose of reality.  It had not hit me that I am really graduating, but at that moment I got it!  And now I am starting to feel the stress of not having a "real" job.  I'm praying that God will open the doors for whatever He wants me to do.  He has provided a step by step plan these past three and a half years, so I am completely confident that He will provide once again!  Unfortunately, the answers never come when I want them :(  I would love to have the security of knowing now what I will be doing in the next few months.  But it just never seems to happen that way.

So for now, I'm praying that He will direct me where He wants me.  

Much anticipated update.....for my millions of readers! ha!

Well, I hate that I haven't had any time to update. Mainly because that means that my post are always long. I'm going to try and only give the major details to prevent that from happening. So here goes...

First let me say that I am actually writing this from Dallas. I made the trip back for Karley's graduation which was yesterday. It has been such a great visit. It still feels like this is my second home. It's weird because the way I used to feel when I would go back to Bama for a visit, is how it feels here now. I'm leaving in the morning at 6:30am :'( so that I can make it back in time for work.

So now that I have mentioned work, I'll go ahead and say that I love my job! It is such a blessing. I love the people I work with and actually look forward to going everyday. The job itself is crazy busy though. The other day I got to work and had 23 emails and 8 phone messages waiting on me. That was a bit overwhelming. I am the Home Team Cordinator for one of the teams out on the road. My team is the team that travels to the beaches to do the SL Camps there. They have five beach camps and four regular youth camps. The youth camps are scattered out in various states all over.

This past week was more overwhelming than any I have had so far. Our camp in Daytona is in July, but everything for that camp was due on Monday. So that means that I had youth ministers calling needing to know what they need to have in and then once they found out they began sending in their rooming list and other forms. Part of my job is to enter all of these rooming list into our system. The stressful part is that Daytona has almost 7000 people attending! So now you see where the overwhelming part comes in. But the great news is that I got all of the list entered in that we have so far. That is huge because I am not way behind. I did have help from several co-workers though! It's so fun to talk to the different minsters all over the U.S. I've even had a couple that I actually know.

I started my last three classes last week. They are all online. I have also submitted my graduation application since the last time I wrote. That was a surreal moment for me.

Living at home is going way better than I ever could have expected. I am really enjoying getting to spend time with my family. However, with working from 8:30-5 I don't have a ton of spare time. I have had something going on every weekend since I've been home, so I'm looking forward to things slowing down a bit (but I don't know if that's ever really going to happen).

So seriously....life is going good! God has blessed me!

Quick Update

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update......work is great!  I LOVE my job!  It's really crazy busy right now with camps coming up, but hopefully soon I can write more in detail.

Stuffing an elephant in a suitcase.....

That's pretty much the only way to describe what my mom and I have been doing the past few hours. But the good news is that my car is packed up and ready to go. I have pics that I will post later.
Please pray that we have a safe drive home tomorrow (Friday). You can see nothing out of my back window....I think mom and I will have to get in the car, suck in, then shut the doors. That's how packed it is!
It's supposed to be a 10 hour drive, but with just me and my mom it always ends up being longer. We have developed some frequent stops over the past few years that we like to hit on the drive.
So I'm off to bed!

Week in Review

So this is how last week went and how my last week in Dallas will go.

LAST WEEK:

MONDAY: I had to sub all day. It was my last day to sub and it was a great day to end on! After working, I came home and studied some more for a test I had that night. I left early to go to a 6:30 review session before our 8pm test. During the review the power went out all over campus so we didn't have to take our test. Needless to say it was a great night! We got another whole week to study.

TUESDAY: Tuesdays are my long days at school. I had so much I had to do that day and miraculously it all got done. And I got good grades on it all! I had my funeral plan due (which I talked about in a previous post), a paper for another class, and a test all in one day. After my classes were over at 3, I went to work at the gym from 4-9. It was such a long day!

WEDNESDAY: When I got up, I started cleaning out my closets. The pile of clothes that came from the "bad" closet was the success I had. After cleaning, I went to lunch with my friend Brittney. It was probably my last time to hang out with her for a very very long time. After lunch I rode with Karley and Ann down to Waxahatchie for Karley to take her Senior pictures. I was basically Karley's personal assistant tending to the hair and make-up needs throughout the day. We got back home around 9:30 or so that night.

THURSDAY: I had class from 9:30 until 2. After class I came home and rested. At that point I was physically exhausted because of everything I had going on earlier during the week. That night Ann and I went to see "Baby Mama." We had some free tickets that expired that day so we had to use them. Very cute movie!

FRIDAY: I packed some more, ran (which I am still doing. With the craziness over the last few weeks, I have been running two or three times a week. But I guess it's better than nothing), and then went to work from 4-7 at the gym. This was my last day there. I'm sad to leave the friends I was just starting to make, but will not miss that job! After work I came home and packed some more. This time I tackled all of my drawers in my dresser and my desk.

SATURDAY: I got up and packed some more things. Then I cleaned out the inside of my car. I vacuumed and wiped everything down. It hasn't been that clean in a while. Saturday night I met my friend Tiffany at the mall. We went to eat at Cheesecake Factory and then saw "Made of Honor." It was great! I'm really going to miss Tiffany...She is another friend from DBU and we just "clicked" when we met.

This is a picture of she and I the first night we really became friends.

In this picture we are at Speed Zone in Dallas. This is the first event I ever attended with DBU. They had an All Night Party for all of the students. Some how we both managed to squeeze into this tiny two seater. There is a funny story to go with it though....She and I had been waiting in line with all of our other friends. When we got to the front of the line, she was going to get to go and I was going to have to wait until the next time. But all of our other friends were already in their go-carts ready to go. So we thought we would be smart and just ride together.

After convincing the guy how important it was that we ride with the rest of our friends and that we could fit in the cart, he finally agreed. So with everyone watching and waiting on us (friends and fellow DBU students) Tiffany and I carefully and forcefully placed our not so tiny bottoms in the go-cart. Once we were in the guy let us out on the track before the rest of the people in the single go carts. When we started to go we noticed that our car seemed slower than usual. Then we started to go up the hill on the track, and realized that we must have been way over the maximum weight capacity. The car was barely moving.

At this point Tiffany and I are hysterically laughing. There are people lined around the fence just watching us as we are flapping our arms and rocking our bodies to try and make it up the hill. In the meantime, we also notice that they haven't let any of the other single carts out yet. So we pull over to wait on them. So now we are just sitting in the middle of the track when one of the workers comes over and ask us what we are doing. When we tell him, he informs us that the double carts are not allowed on the track at the same time as the single carts. So basically he has kept everyone else sitting in their carts at the start of the track just waiting on us while we take our turn. Why in the world he thought we would want to endure that kind of humiliation, I have no idea! While trying to catch our breath from laughing so hard, we explain to the speed zone worker that the whole reason in us riding together was because we wanted to go at the same time as the rest of our friends. He was obviously very confused.

So we pull back into the start with everyone else looking at us like we are idiots. And rightfully so. No one had a clue what was going on. All they knew was that we came from the back of the line and squeezed into this tiny car and then proceeded to take over the track with just the two of us. Our friends and the other students are giving us these death stares. We are laughing so hard we are crying. I'm certain it was a great first impression on my part! haha!

You can't help but to be great friends after an experience like that!

SUNDAY: Today I washed the outside of my car. I packed up the big pile of clothes into two boxes. In a little while I will get ready to go to church for the last time. Well not the last time, but the last time to attend my church out here. Then tonight I will study again for my test tomorrow.

THIS COMING WEEK...THE LAST ONE:

MONDAY: I will probably study and do a little more packing. I have class from 6:30 until 9.

TUESDAY: I have class from 9:30 until 2. Tuesday night I will probably be doing something with the Osborn's for our last family night together.

WEDNESDAY: I'm picking my mom up from the airport around 12:30pm. At 5 she and I will be heading to get a mother/daughter massage! This is part of her mother's day present.

THURSDAY: I have a final at 10:30 and then mom and I are going to Arlington to have lunch with Janice Rogers. Thursday night we will spend some last minute time with the Osborn's and then pack everything up in my car.

FRIDAY: We will be leaving early Friday morning to head to Birmingham. But we aren't going the whole way on Friday. We will be stopping in Tuscaloosa to spend the night (probably). This only saves us an hour though. My cousin has her graduation on Saturday, so it will be easier to just stop and spend the night since we will be right there.

SATURDAY: We have graduation and then are heading to the lake for mother's day. This was my mom's request.

SUNDAY: Spending time at the lake and then home to unpack and get ready for work.

MONDAY: Start my new job!!!!! And a new journey......

Long post, but it sums up everything.

The Beginning of the End.

Well, this is my last week. I can't believe this is the last Sunday I will wake up living in Dallas (As far as I know). I don't know if it has sank in that I really am moving from here. There have been so many come and go moments since I first moved to Texas, I'm not sure it's really hit me that I'm going and not coming back this time.

I'm so overwhelmed with emotions. Happy one minute thinking about what's to come, but at the same time I'm sad to leave what I've known and become so used to over the past three years. Looking back, I can only stand in awe of everything God has done in and through me. I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER would have imagined the direction my life has taken and the experiences I have had.

So it's no secret that I am ALWAYS a last minute packer. It doesn't bother me as much as it bothers everyone around me. My mom gave me specific instructions to have everything packed and ready before she arrives out here on Wednesday. So kudos for me because I am almost completely packed!

I thought I would post some pictures in case anyone is still doubting me. I'm going to go ahead and put the before pics on here too. Let me warn you that I do not have the most organized closets in the world. But let me also remind everyone that I have all of my belongings in one room. So everything I own is in my closets. At some point you can't organize anymore, you just have to get the stuff in there.....

Ok, so this is the bad closet. This is the closet that I just put everything I am not using or I just need somewhere for it to go. I know it's bad, don't judge.

This is the good closet. After looking at it though, it really doesn't look that much better. But the good news is that I know where everything is.

All of these clothes came out of the "bad" closet. I honestly have no idea how they all fit in there.

The "bad" closet again. Everything in here is completely packed and ready to go. It just has to be put in the car.

This is the "good" closet again. All that is left is a couple of pairs of shoes, hanging clothes, and some random things that need to be put in a box. And the clothes basket that has clothes in it I need to wash. But other than that, not too much.

So now there are just a few little things left to do. I am so glad I started this early because I would have been overwhelmed and extremely stressed if I had to do it all at once.

Saving Money

Just a random thought:
Exactly one week from today I will be picking my mom up from the airport so that we can prepare for our drive back to Birmingham.........

Ok so now the real reason for this post, which isn't going to be a long one....One positive thing (there are many more, but I'm just focusing on the one right now) that is coming from me moving back home is the fact that I will be able to save some money while I am there at first. I'm going to be living back at home, like with my parents (which is something I haven't really done in five years). I'm not sure how long this will last though. Not because I just don't want to live there, but I am really ready to have a place of my own. I think it's just getting that time. I want to be able to decorate and just make my own home. But for now, I'm going to be enjoying the many perks that come from living with your parents.

However, one thing I realized today is that I already have in mind some things I want to buy with the money I am supposed to be saving. I think that's going to be a problem. I really really want to get a nice camera and start learning more about photography. I went with Karley today to take her senior pics and I was inspired. I wish I already had a great camera. In the next few months I hope to get some photography books and start learning more about it. We'll see though!

Makes you think....

I just finished writing out my funeral plan for the Death and Dying class I am taking. Basically I wrote out my funeral service, my obituary, and my eulogy. According to my plans, I died on my 100th birthday. Some people chose to write there's as if they were to die today. That was a bit too heavy for me.........
So now I'm going to go watch something happy on tv!

Blessed Confession

So now that I have entered the blog world, I have become a bit addicted to it. Not so much writing on my own blog, but reading the blogs of others. I have spent an embarrassing amount of time reading these blogs!

I sit down at the computer to check those blogs of the people I actually know, and many many minutes later I catch myself reading about these people's lives that I have never even met! Most I have never even heard of! It really is embarrassing. You just start clicking on those random "blog names" on the sides of the screen and before you know it you are 10 or so clicks away from the original blog you started on.

I consider myself a people person. I love to people watch and I am a very observant person (One of the reason's psychology interest me so much). I think this is why I am so intrigued with the whole blogging world. It's almost like reading a person or family's biography. Some people have some pretty interesting lives.

Over time, I have begin to develop some "regulars." These are obviously the blogs I check pretty often. There are several blogs I have been following for a while now (Most of which are people I do not know. I just get sucked in and want to know what's happening with the specific things I have read about. And then one thing leads to another and I forget that these people are not my friends. They have no clue who I am or that I even exist......I know I'm not the only person that does this though!) Most of these are about people or families who are having some type of difficult situation in their lives. They are using the blog to keep people posted on everything that is going on. Many times they are using it as an escape to share some of their feelings.

Tonight after reading one of my "regulars," it just hit me how blessed I really am. Sometimes I let satan talk me into a pity party. I get down because my life is not as perfect as I would like for it to be. But these things I wish would change are so small compared to things that some people are struggling with. Now I do believe that God cares even about the little things, but for myself I do not want to be so consumed by these things.

A few of the blogs I have been following have mothers who have lost their babies or have a sick child, and a husband who is going through major medical problems with his wife and little girl. These people have tremendous faith! They have been such an encouragement to me. It's crazy that these people I do not even know are challenging my spiritual walk. Christ is their ultimate foundation. He is the one they are turning to. His word is what is keeping them going. I pray that I never have to go through anything that difficult, but if I ever do I pray that I will have the faith that these people have. I pray I have this kind of faith with even these things that are in my life right now!

It's crazy how God can use the internet to bring His children together like this. One of these blogs mentioned earlier has had over 3 million people who have looked at it. That many people have been praying for this man and his family. I am just in awe of that. People all over the world are praying for these people!

I'm debating putting a link to these different blogs on mine. It seems kind of weird because I don't know them. But I just think that their stories need to be shared. I think they can be such a blessing to others like they have been to me. I still haven't decided though.

New Look.

If you love my new header you need to check out http://www.littleblackdresscards.com/ !!!! This is a new company that Karley is working for and is the artist for. The website is still under construction, but I'll let everyone know when it is up and running! The cards they have are sooo cute!!!

For those who don't know, or just don't get it...the new blog pic does have meaning. It represents all the places I have lived the past three years (well pretty much my whole life). I wish I could have it represent all the experiences I've had, but that would be way too much.
Basically, the Beale Street and jazz part is from this past summer when I lived in Memphis. The Dallas part is from the past three years when I have been in Dallas and then of course Sweet Home Alabama!

It's Rabbit Season

I am excited to say that today (Sunday) marked two weeks of my running! I've really been enjoying it more than I thought I would. I'm no where close to where I want to be, but much farther along than I ever thought. I haven't ran every day for two weeks, but I have ran 5x both weeks.

I figured out something I want to add to my "Things I'll miss about Dallas" list.....rabbits. I know that's weird, but there are so many rabbits every where out here. Because there aren't any woods for them to run through, they are all over the neighborhoods. While I was running today I passed three just sitting on the edge of the yards. They actually let you get pretty close to them. The next thing out from hibernation will be frogs. They are ALL over the sidewalks. You seriously have to watch where you step or you might splatter one!

Because the weather is getting to be so nice, we are going to try and start walking some at night too. Ann, Karley, and I had made this a great habit last Spring, but it didn't last as long as we wanted it to because I got injured. Basically to sum up what happened, I was trying to scare Ann and jump out from behind a fence....it was dark and the fence was on a hill. So I jumped and twisted my ankle and fell down the hill. It ended up being a bad sprain that still hurts even a year later! It's a funny story now though. We had to call Keith to come pick me up in the car, even though we were probably only 50 yards away from the house!
Hopefully we can force ourselves back into this habit!

I am also happy to report that I did start cleaning out my closet this week! It wasn't much, but I organized a VERY small portion of it! I seriously have sooo much to do before May 9 (I have been telling everyone I am driving home on the 8, but I just realized it's actually the 9th. It's on a Friday). I really have to have it ready on the 7th because that's the day my mom gets here. I've been telling her that I will have everything done by the time she arrives.....I have a long way to go.

That is going to be such a crazy week! I have finals all week, then my mom gets here on Wednesday afternoon. We leave Friday to drive to B'ham and I have to be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday for my cousins graduation from Alabama. Then I start work on that Monday (May 12).

I think I decided that I'm not going to take all of my stuff home until I come back in August (for graduation). There's just too much of it and I really will not have enough time to get it all together that week.

Ok, I'm going to finish watching "Sweet Home Alabama." It's on t.v. Which by the way...Whenever I tell people out here that I love that movie I have to follow it with "but not because I'm from Alabama." They really think that! And I had this one guy tell me he wanted to go to Alabama so he could hear the song "Sweet Home Alabama" all the time. As if to think people walk around with boom boxes on their shoulders playing it on the streets. I hear that song more in Texas than I do at home!

The Happy and The Sad

I can't believe I am moving in just a few weeks! It's all starting to sink in now!

A few things I am looking forward to about being back home:
1. I will be able to see my family more than just a few times a year.
2. I will be home for my sister's senior year of high school.
3. I am going to get to see my friends for more than just a few hours every few months.
4. I can randomly go to lunch with people from home.
5. Working for student life.
6. Having my dad be there to fix anything that messes up on my car (This doesn't sound like that big of a deal until you have to handle it by yourself. I'm so blessed to have my dad! (and not just for his mechanic skills!)
7. Many of my friends have babies and are getting married...I will get to be a part of these events and more than just seeing pictures!

A few things I will miss about Dallas:
1. The Osborn's
2. The friends I have made here
3. "The Nail Place" (Best pedicures ever!)
4. Studio Movie Grill (You eat dinner while you watch a movie. I love going here!)
5. Getting in my car and only having to drive 10 minutes to get to the mall.
6. Having about 10 different malls I can choose from.
7. The church I have been attending out here.

**These are just a few things I have thought of right off. I know I will be adding more as the time gets closer.

Stars Game

Last night I came across some free tickets to the Dallas Stars game (hockey for those who don't know). I have never been to one of these games, and I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity I have before I move. I'm so mad at myself for not doing more stuff sooner.

The game was a lot of fun. My friend Brittney and my new friend Ashley went with me. For those who do not know, Brittney and I met the very first week I was in Dallas (May, 2005! I can't believe it's been that long!). I flew out here for a week to work, but then had to fly back home for a friend's wedding. During that week I went to a Ranger's baseball game and met Brittney through another friend. At that point I had NO idea that I would be staying here for more than just the summer. We didn't really talk that much that day, but a few months later we were reintroduced when I figured out I was going to stay here and go to DBU. Brittney also went to DBU. It was such a God thing that she and I became friends. I knew one person at DBU before I started, so God brought Brittney and some other amazing people into my life right when I needed them!

Here are some pictures from our night....

Ashley, Brittney, and Me

This was my first hockey game to ever go to. I was really hoping to see a good fight. The most we saw was a few guys push each other. I was a little disappointed!

It's crazy that this ice rink can turn into a basketball court in just a few hours! The Mavs play here too!

So much for getting the game in the background!

So far, So good!....kind of!

So I've been trying the whole running thing this week. I have to say that I have done better than I thought I would. I have ran (I really did run too!) three out of the past four days. Monday I just had way too much stuff to do. It's actually been fun (NEVER thought I would say that!). I am having to learn how to push myself past what I think are my limits. This is hard for me. I'm not a very competitive person, so sometimes I just don't care about that kind of stuff. But I don't like to give up, so that helps.

There is one negative that is coming from this though......my lower body is killing me! My legs have been hurting since Sunday basically. And I had to work at the gym tonight (I work at Bally Total Fitness two nights a week. I work their retail department....which is basically a better way of saying I'm the smoothie girl. I make the health shakes and stuff. There isn't a whole lot of "retail" involved for me. But it has been a great experience. It's much different than the church jobs I am used to. The gym mixed with substitute teaching in public schools = eye opening experiences! And I love the people I work with!)

Ok, now back to working at the gym tonight. I am not allowed to sit down any while I am at work. So for five hours straight I am standing. When your legs are hurting before you even get to work, it doesn't make for a pleasant evening.

So I'm hoping that my body will adapt to this???? Hopefully! I really do want to do a 5k at some point. I just think it would feel like such an accomplishment!

An old goal that I'm trying to make new!

For quite some time now I have really wanted to start training for some type of marathon. Well, I'm thinking like a 5K.....is that still considered a marathon? Obviously I haven't really done my research. The problem I have is 1. I am not a runner (like not even a little bit. Never have been) and 2. I never have the time nor energy to run (I am in school 16 hours and working two jobs right now). But today I am proud to say that I made the first step in my "training." I ran/walked for a distance that was not extremely short but not long either. But it was a start. And it was over a mile. That's all I'm saying in regards to the distance.


So I begin my run around our neighborhood and the one next to us. All of the "real" runners run on the main roads, but I am far from that. The weather was AMAZING! It seriously could not have been any better. The sun was down but it wasn't dark, it was around 75 degrees, and the wind was blowing just perfectly. (Well when I say I was running, I should really just say jogging. Because there was no running actually involved.) So I'm continuing my jog and I turn the corner at the end of the street. When I look up I see this man and his young son walking towards me. I really was praying that their house would come before I passed them so that they couldn't hear me breathing hard (these are not my finest moments). But of course it did not. So I turned my IPOD down (I had the volume up really loud. This helps you not be able to hear that you are breathing loud and therefore you aren't focused on it as much.....consider that a helpful tip!) and then I try to get control of my breathing so that the man didn't think I was going to pass out. Well I am slowly (key word) approaching this man and his son when the man grabs his son and pulls him in the grass. Leaving me the entire sidewalk to pass them. I guess I looked like I was struggling and the man felt the need to help me out a little by not making me take the steps to go around him and his son. I wanted to say thank you but didn't want to waste any breath, so I just smiled.

I also had this other little boy that kept following beside me on his motorized scooter. It made me feel awkward and I wanted to ask him to stop, but I didn't. By the end of it, I felt like I made a new friend.


Besides the whole getting in shape and "training" for my marathon, it is a really great time to just reflect on things. There are no distractions and plenty of time to just think. It was very peaceful. I had a really cool experience too, but it almost sounds crazy so I won't share it.

I also feel the need to thank Barlow Girl and Carrie Underwood. "Never Alone" and "So Small" were my last two songs playing when I got to the end. They kept me going!


I really wanted to write about my "training" on here, because I think it will hold me more accountable. Hopefully sometime this summer I can participate in some type of 5K.


Another goal I have....not to wait until the last minute to start packing my stuff up to move home. Anyone that knows me, knows I am a last minute packer. I have accumulated a lot more stuff since I moved out here. It's going to take a while to sort through and organize so that I can successfully get it from Dallas to Birmingham. I only have a month and a week left....that's so weird!

Ok, I'm off to bed. I am substitute teaching tomorrow and I have to be there at 7am! Which by the way..I love that job! The students are great!

Unexpected Getaway!

The Osborn's and I decided to take a last minute trip to Austin this weekend. We left Friday Morning and got back tonight. It was very needed and a lot of fun! Besides just getting away, one of the main reasons to go was to find Karley a prom dress. As many stores as Dallas has, there is not a whole lot to choose from in that area. Especially if you aren't willing to risk someone else wearing the same dress (and no girl ever wants that!). We were very successful! Austin has a lot of great shopping! Many of there stores are very unique (Austin is a unique city). In case you have never been there, it's a little out there. Very hippie and liberal. But so much fun! I think it would be fun to live there for a short while...not because I'm hippie and liberal, but because it's so different.


We know some people who live there so we got a head's up on the places to eat. They were all over Austin and it was a good thing we had a GPS or we would have NEVER found them or anything else. Keith decided to get a Magellan GPS system the night before we left. "Maggie" as we called her was a huge addition to the vacation! I want to invest in one of those sometime in the future and encourage anyone who travels to get one!


After arriving there on Friday afternoon we went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant that was recommended to us. It was very good! They gave all the ladies that ate there fresh long stem roses, which were beautiful! Once we finished eating, we went to the hotel and then out to shop.


We didn't really have plans for Friday night so Ann, Karley, and I decided that we would go and see a movie that we have been eager to see, Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day. We all thought it was great! I definitely recommend it!


Saturday we slept in (Because we were on vacation!) and then we went shopping some more.
We pretty much spent most of the day shopping and then had dinner Saturday night. It was a very fun and relaxed day.


It was very strange not being home for Easter this year. Plane tickets were so expensive that I just decided that I would stay out here. Especially since I will be going home for good in a couple of months. I will say that it ended up being a great day. We attended church at Austin Stone Community Church. This is the church where Chris Tomlin leads worship. So that was what initially caught our eye. But of course, he didn't lead worship this morning. (However, he did sit right behind us. It was a reminder that these people have real lives too.) The worship and message were both great! The church meets in a high school, which is very different than anything I have ever been a part of. All of the services meet in the gym. I have worked in two student ministries that meet in the gym on Wednesday nights. Both of my "bosses" were extremely gifted in set design and setting up for these services. Therefore, I know how much work it is to make this happen. The people at Austin Stone have to have some majorly dedicated people to pull off what they do every Sunday. Their setup was double anything I have ever done and I really felt I could see a piece of their staff's heart just by looking at the setup. Not just in the gym, but also in the hallways that were filled with tables full of information on how to get connected.

Because I worked under people who liked to focus on little details, I have now developed the habit. I can't walk into a room like that without really looking at everything they have done (thanks Tim and Jeff!). As I looked around I had to remind myself that it was a high school gym and not a church gym. I just kept thinking about how obvious it was that the Lord was so in that place, despite everything that goes on in that school during the week. Substitute teaching has shown me that Satan has put a lot of trash in our schools today. I don't believe this school is any different (especially since it was in Austin). That was just a thought I had about the experience. I loved the church though. It reminded me of the church I have been attending here in Dallas.


After church we had lunch at this Bistro. They had an "Easter" buffet, so it was the closest thing we would get to a real Easter meal. The food was great! The price....not so much!


Then we headed back to the hotel to get our stuff packed up. Once we were packed and loaded we were heading back home!


I was glad to be home, but could have stayed a few more days. I definitely want to go back to Austin if I get a chance!


I have a few pictures I will post later.

1st Mavs Game!

Well tonight I got to go to my first Mavericks Game. It was so much fun! Keith got tickets from a business friend and we got to sit in a suite! It was so great! They had food, drinks, and a large dessert cart. It was such a great night!

A copy of our tickets.

On the way to the game. We only had three tickets so Ann let us go. She was greatly missed!

Karley and I took tons of pics in the suite before the game started.

Time for the game to start!

Ok, so now for the best part! I was joking/being serious with Karley about a celebrity being at the game. They were playing the Lakers and it was a huge game, so I knew that there would have to be! Well, on the way I said "what if Jessica and Tony are there." And we laughed it off. I still didn't want to give up though, so I was scanning the crowd when I really spotted them! Karley and I freaked out a little bit. I know a lot of people don't like her, but I do. So here are the picture we took. We got a little obsessed with it.

P.S. I'm still working on how to post pictures. My formatting is way off! Sorry!

1st Timer!

So I was on Spring Break this week and decided I would treat myself to a Spring Break Facial. The nail salon I go to also offers the facial service (I love my nail place! The best one I have ever been to and they are not expensive at all! It's on the top ten things I will miss most about Dallas).

I was getting a pedicure the other day and read on their menu (not sure what it's called), that they offer facials. Well, since I have never had one before I decided I would treat myself.

Let me just say that it was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had in my life! I can't believe I volunteered myself for that! And not just volunteered, I paid for it! You had to pay a little extra if you wanted them to do the blackheads (haha! sorry for being a bit graphic). So I was like, "why not!" Well, I'll tell you why not....... It hurts! I seriously thought my teeth were going to fall out because I was grinding them so hard. I almost had tears!

But the good news is that the outcome was very good! I really could tell a big difference. And the lady says that the first time is always the worst! Not sure if she was being encouraging or just wanting more of my money! She also did a half hour massage once the torture was over. So now I'm not completely convinced I'll never get another one....

Time/Regret

I often make references to "the past three years of my life." This is because they have been very crucial years for me. Well really it's been the past four years, since December of my freshman year of college. There would be too much for me to write about in detail, but I have had many "ah ha!" moments (As Oprah would say---I do feel a little bad about putting oprah (I gave her a little "o." on purpose) and God in the same blog). God has moved in my life in ways that I didn't even know He could. I'm so grateful and pray that everyone has a time in their life like this. (I hope I still have a lot more to come though!)

The only regret I have during this time is that I didn't really embrace it for everything that it was. I had so much opportunity and I didn't really realize it until it was really just too late. I have learned that the freedom I have had during college will not always last. Unfortunately, the older I get the more responsibility I accumulate.

I will say that I have accomplished a WHOLE lot more than I ever thought I would. But....there was so much more I could have done. There were some days I was so focused on what was next that I missed the opportunities I had right then. Man I wish I wouldn't have done that! I've definitely lived and learned in this situation!

I am completely taking advantage of the next five months of my life!

Psalm 90:12
"Teach me to make the most of my time Oh Lord, so that I may grow in wisdom."

I'm a slacker!

So I have majorly been slacking on the blog. My excuse is because I have not had much of anything going on in my life lately......well until a few days ago.

Just a recap of everything that has been going on:

First let me say that I'm graduating in August. (A long story as to why I am waiting until August, but it makes a lot of sense). Ok, so on that note I will be taking a class online this summer. This means that I will be mobile from May until August (I don't have to be in Dallas because the classes are online).

Since I don't have to be in Dallas I decided that I would go ahead and look for a job. This will be my last summer before complete financial independence from my parents (well as much as it will ever be...not sure the "complete" part will ever happen), and I was determined not to get a "real job" just yet (By "real job" I mean 100% full time). I have realized that the freedoms I have right now, will not always be. I just wanted to take advantage of this time a little more. So...after a few weeks of not really having a clue as to what I would do, I got a great suggestion from a friend. "Why don't you try to get a job at Student Life?"

My response: "What a great idea!"

So I get online and print off their application. I also learned that application deadlines were Jan. 31 (It was around Jan. 25). So I was on a time crunch. And I had to have reference letters sent in.

Thankfully everything was in on time. I applied to work in the Birmingham office (Student Life is based out of Birmingham). So this would mean I could move back home and live with the parentals for awhile to save some money. It would also allow me to be a part of ministry in a different way than what I have in the past. Very exciting!
I went for an interview in the middle of February and then they told me that I would hear something starting on March 1st. Well March 1st came and went...still no word. Then it was like March 7th and I still hadn't heard anything. I did call just to make sure that I hadn't deleted the email (they said they would let you know something either way). But the guy said they were still notifying people, so I didn't get too worried. Well finally on March 12th, I got a call. The girl was curious as to why they hadn't heard anything in response to the email they sent (which I never got). She said some other stuff and then told me that they would like to offer me the job. I was so excited! We discussed it some more and determined I would start on May 12th.
I hung up the phone and it hit me that May 12th is not that far away! For some reason I was just overwhelmed with a lot of emotions. I was so excited for this next step in my life, but I quickly remembered that to start a new chapter you have to end another one.

I have loved living in Dallas. I have been blessed beyond what I ever thought with friends and family here. It's going to be hard to leave this. As much as Alabama is home, this has been my home for the past three years.

But I really am so pumped about everything that is going on! It's only for the summer but I'm praying that this opens up more doors!
*Thanks Linz for the suggestion!

It's been awhile....

Well it has been quite a while since I last posted anything on here.....over a year. I was at church on Sunday and I heard something that really spoke to me so I thought I would blog about it, mainly so I will remember it in the future.

The guy speaking was talking about the 1988 World Series game against the A's and the Dodgers. (I may not get everything exactly right...but you'll get the gist of it.)
Kirk Gibson was up to bat. The Dodgers were down by 1, so they needed him to hit a homerun because there was one guy on base. If he hit a homerun the Dodgers would win.
The bad part was that Gibson was hurt and actually limped to the plate. So there was no way he would be able to outrun anyone to any base. So basically he had to hit a homerun or the game was over.
Well, he gets up there and sure enough he hits a homerun. And of course the crowd and everyone goes CRAZY!
So the speaker Sunday morning tells us this story. And just when I thought that was the end of it, he said that as great as the homerun was, it was not the most interesting part of the story. He said that when he watched the video, you could see tons of red lights flashing in the backgroud outside of the stadium. The red lights were the brake lights from the cars of the people who had given up on the game and left early. They heard what had happened from the parking lot and were immediately trying to stop so that they could experience a little bit of what they had missed.
So then he wrapped it up by asking: When it comes to God, how many times do we give up and leave the ballpark before the game is ever really over?
That hit me pretty hard. It's so hard to wait on God's timing. And we all know that he truly does want to bless us...we just have to wait for him. I was thinking about Gibson hitting that homerun and how the timing of it is what made it such a memorable moment in baseball. If it would have been any earlier in the game, it would have been great, but not the way it was at the end of the game. It was all about the timing.

NEW CHAIR!

So this is my room with the new chair that the Osborn's gave me for my b-day. And there are some other things that are alittle different.

I love this chair!

The picture will be hanging rather than sitting on the bed like that.