JGroup.

WARNING: this post is kind of lame...well, sappy-ish

i just wanted to take a moment and give an old school shout out to all the girls in my journey group :) when journey groups started back up, bekah and i were looking for a change of scenery...and somewhere closer to home, so hannah told me about this "ladies only" journey group. well, we went to the first...meeting? i don't know, anyway, we met mache and rachel at starbucks, and instantly fell in love (in the most non-homo way possible). laura quickly joined too, and hannah even got to come to...one (she had a really busy schedule!!) :)

anyway, i can't really imagine not being a part of this journey group. i know that sounds lame, but i'm totally serious. i can't wait for tuesday nights and seeing all my girls. now (this is shocking) we don't always stick to the script (a.k.a. our bible study book...about moods - ha!), but that time is invaluable. i have grown so close to these girls in the last several months, and i really can't imagine them not in my life...which also sounds kind of lame, but is very true.

rachel: you have brought some awesome joy into my life. i love being crazy with you, and i'm so thankful that we can be crazy and serious together. thanks for helping me laugh :)

mache: holy crap. can i just say that i love our lunch dates? i'm pretty sure you already knew that, but i just love getting to hang out with you almost every day. i have never felt so comfortable with someone so quickly. you're awesome. thanks for always encouraging me and making me smile :)

laura: i love being around you - you are always full of energy :) i'm so glad that you are such a big part of my life. thanks for being so fun :)

bekah: well, what is there to say that you don't already know? you have been a life-changing influence in my life, and i'm so thankful that we get to share this experience too :) thanks for dancing with me :)

i just really love all the girls in my journey group, and i know that my life wouldn't be the same without them. love you girls!

movies.

does anyone else ever feel like all the good movies come out at once? i can think of about ten movies that are in theaters right now that i wouldn't mind seeing. and it sucks that movies are like a billion dollars each after 3:00 in the afternoon...since when did 3:00 become the cut-off for the matinee?

in lieu of the movie post, here are some of my favorite new movies of 2008 that you should totally check out...in no particular order :)

21, Baby Mama, Get Smart (i love steve carell), The Dark Knight (duh), What Happens In Vegas (better than i expected) and Sex & the City was pretty good...

and here are the ones i want to see that are in theaters: Australia, Marley & Me, Bedtime Stories, Valkyrie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which is getting remedied tomorrow), Seven Pounds, Quantum of Solace (still haven't seen it...lame), Doubt, Bolt (you can laugh) and possibly Gran Torino.

and the ones that aren't: The Duchess, Burn After Reading, Definitely Maybe, Changeling, Leatherheads, Made of Honor (i know that's lame, but i just want to see it), Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, Rachel Getting Married (it's got some Oscar buzz), Vantage Point (it didn't get the best reviews, but I still want to see it)...

last thing: the movie i hated most = Forgetting Sarah Marshall. which i didn't even want to see.

currently watching: House.

just a thought.

i wonder if the government will start accepting personal applications for a "bailout."

currently listening to: construction noise mixed with whatever brian is listening to in his office.

the waiting is the hardest part.

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him..."
Psalm 37: 7

"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up on wings like eagles..."
Isaiah 40:31

being patient is probably one of the biggest themes in my life...i hope that makes sense. what i mean is that i feel like one thing that the LORD has consistently taught me is to be patient and wait on him. he has a plan for me and wants me to prosper (jeremiah 29:11), but i just need to remember that it's His timing...not mine. that's usually where i fail. i tend to like control a little too much, so sometimes it's harder than it should be for me to trust. completely. just trust. you would think that looking back and seeing how time and time again waiting on Him has been the answer, it wouldn't be so hard...i guess that's just part of being human. i want to get better at waiting, and God taught me a big lesson about patience this summer with finding a job and his timing and stuff, so i'm hoping that will help me in the future. patience just isn't my strong suit.

currently listening to: more of you...by will goodwin.

december?

i can't believe that we're already five days into the last month in 2008. i guess i don't really feel like i have much to say, but i'm excited about what 2009 brings. a new year. a new chance. a new change. a new adventure. a new outlook. a new goal. i don't know, i like new stuff :) i just feel like this is going to be a good year, so i'm pretty stoked :) and who doesn't love a good new year's eve party? huh? huh? yeah, that's what i thought. i love a good party.

currently watching: x-men

fix you.

and high up above or down below,
when you're too in love to let it go.
but if you never try, you'll never know
just what you're worth.

lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones,
and i will try to fix you.

currently listening to: you guessed it.

smile.

so bekah and matt are (finally) engaged, and i couldn't be more excited :)

tracy and i were driving around on saturday just squealing with excitement! i know we're silly, but come on. how could you not be excited?! i can't wait. they've picked june 6, and i know that it will be here before we all know it. woohoo - dress shopping! haha, but seriously, i can't wait for all the crazy planning and everything else. and of course, to see two of my best friends get married :)

currently listening to: coldplay...shocker, right?

work.

so, i'm sitting in my office right now, and i would just like to take a few minutes to let everyone know how much i love what i do. i work as the public relations (and marketing) director for Premier Firewood, Inc. brian kase is my boss, and honestly, i couldn't ask for a better one. i love working for someone who knows me. everyday brings some new challenge, and i like to think of it as a new adventure. this is definitely one of my favorite adventures so far :) i imagined this post being longer, but all i really want to say is how much i love my job and how much i believe in our dream.

currently listening to: X&Y...one of the best albums ever.

new week :)

i feel like everyone always dreads mondays, but i really don't. maybe it's because i work for one of my best friends, but i like to think of it as a chance to begin a new week. to start fresh. i know that sounds lame, but mondays aren't really that bad :) i'm excited to start this week. i feel like every week brings some crazy new adventure, and although i can get a little crazy (probably because i tend to want to control things...), i love that it's never boring. it's the best job i could ask for, and i wouldn't trade it for anything :)

currently watching: enchanted. love it :)

our heart.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV)

i love these verses, and i feel like a lot of people forget about the third part of this passage, which i think is one of the most important. it's so easy - we just have to seek with all our heart, and we'll find him. isn't that great? there's just one thing we have to do, not a list of 20 requirements. just one: our heart.

currently listening to: itunes on shuffle...right now, it's john mayer :)

finally.

november 4th is here, and by tonight, we will know our country's choice for the next President of the United States. i hope this doesn't turn into something similar to the 2000 election. i never want to hear the phrase "to close to call" again. i also never want to see another political ad on television. in my opinion, those ads don't really sway intelligent or informed voters. that being said, there are a lot of ignorant voters out there, so i guess that's who they're really targeting anyway. there is some talk that neither saxby chambliss nor jim martin will get enough votes to win, and there will be a run off between them, which makes me want to cry. those are the commercials that i hate the most. i saw one yesterday for the first time that had saxby's mom on it, and oh my, they are from the sooooooooouuuuuuuuuth. that was my attempt to make south more than a one-syllable word. i'm just relieved that this presidential election is coming to an end.

currently listening to: the holiday soundtrack. it's so good.

off to see the wizard.

oh my. i am so excited about tomorrow night!! my parents and i are going to see WICKED at the Fox tomorrow, and i am beyond excited. i'm thinking that we are meeting another family down there, but i'm not sure...anyway, i am completely in love with the Fox Theatre. i know that sounds ridiculous, but everytime i go (or even everytime i just drive by), i just can't get enough of it. on top of that, WICKED is probably one of the best musicals of all time. it's fantastic. it's magical. it's completely enchanting. i can't really get enough of it either :) we bought tickets a loooooong time ago, so it completely snuck up on me, which kind of made for a nice surprise :) this weekend is going to be full of fun: WICKED on friday night and annie & andrew's wedding on saturday. i cannot wait to see my friends get married :)

currently listening to: the holiday soundtrack...which is weird since i'm writing about WICKED.

fanatics.

i know that some people think baseball is boring or their season is too long or whatever, but i love it. i love baseball. i love the 7th inning stretch. i love the energy of the final strikeout. i love turner field! i was really cheering for the phillies, and i even cried when they won. i think that's mostly just me being emotional, but i love seeing a team celebrate together...i know that sounds lame, but it gets me every time. i love the world series. both teams that make it there have worked so hard and have played so many games, and it sucks that someone has to lose, but i love watching the final game of the season. i love watching someone win :)

currently watching: the world series trophy being presented to the philadelphia phillies.

yuck.

i'm really frustrated with this presidential election right now. i feel like that is the general feeling surrounding this november, but it really is just frustrating. i feel like there's no good choice here, which is disappointing. i honestly feel like i'm going to voting for who i dislike less instead of who i feel can best lead our nation. i feel like i've researched both candidates equally, and i still don't feel like i like either of them enough. also, whenever i read something or hear someone arguing for either mccain or obama, i want to vote for the other. i know that for me, it's going to come down to just one thing that makes my decision...either that or it's going to come down to who scares me the least. i feel like this post doesn't really have a point other than to express my frustration and illustrate my confusion...it's probably confusing to read. oh well. i can't wait to find out who will be our country's next president...then i can start preparing myself :)

all by myself.

so last night, i spent the night at bekah's house after HSM3 with all the girls :) she had to open this morning at starbucks, so she left her house at about 5:45ish...i left at about 9:00ish, and spent the next two hours sitting on the couch in my living room. then, i took an hour-long bath, followed by a shower, because i wanted to wash my hair. since then, i've pretty much been in the same place on the couch...i finished a book, journaled and watched way too much television. also, i've probably spent more time on the internet in this one day than i have all week.

all that being said, i have truly loved this day. my parents are in blue ridge, so i've had the house to myself, which i have loved. as much as i love love love being around all the people that i love, i also really enjoy some quality time with myself every once and a while :) i'm going back over to bekah's later because i'm too chicken to stay here by myself...i just don't want to, but for now, i am loving sitting on my couch by myself doing whatever i want.

something fun.

okay, so here's another little fun fact about me:

when i was little, i used to turn on the Grease soundtrack (i copied it to a cassette tape from my mom's record) and blare it in my backyard while i danced around with my ribbon dancer.

feel free to laugh, because even when i think about that, i laugh :) i remember doing it in the fall, so days like today make me wish i was little again :) also, olivia newton john is on the rachael ray show today, which made me think of that as well. i think that instead of using this perfect weather to exercise my ribbon dancer skills (i don't even know where my ribbon dancer is), i'll listen to the soundtrack on my way to dinner :) i'm really freakin' excited too.

currently watching: rachael ray...well, like what not to wear, it's on in the background :)

october october.

i love this month. this time last week, i was getting so mad that it was still so hot, but right now, i'm sitting in the living room, wearing sweat pants and fluffy socks, and i'm wrapped in a blanket with the heat on. also, i have this heated mattress pad, and let me just say that it kills any motivation to get up in the morning. my bed was so perfectly warm, and my bedroom was so cold. it was sooooooo hard to get out of bed this morning...and hard not to get back in :)

it looks so perfect and crisp outside, and i'm stoked to wear some of the new sweaters that i bought with rachel last week :) last tuesday, before journey group, rachel and i had a little splurge trip to the mall. i think i spent a little bit too much money, but to be honest, i got some stuff that i know i'm going to wear, and that i really think i needed, so i don't feel that bad. also, let me just say that i needed that trip. sometimes i just have down days, and tuesday was one of those days. when i knew that i would be early to kennesaw, i asked rachel if she wanted to do some running around with me, and it was exactly what i needed. we were silly and it was perfect. talk about retail therapy...i don't think the retail part was the only therapy - i couldn't have done it without ms. glanzer :) i love the girls in my journey group.

i know that probably halfway through february i'll start missing the warmth of summer, right now, i couldn't be happier to feel the cool air on my skin.

currently watching: what not to wear...well, it's on in the background, but i'm not really paying that much attention to it...

just in case you were wondering...

here are some pretty random facts about me:

i took piano lessons for...i don't even know how long, and even though i don't play as much as i should, when i sit down in front of one, i always feel at home.

i played the violin in 5th grade.

my best friend growing up was a boy, and i always thought that was normal...then one day he asked me to be his girlfriend, and i said no. we weren't as good of friends after that.

i am addicted to caffeine, but as i have said countless times, it could be worse. it could be crack.

one summer at church camp, i ran into a bunk bed and had a giant "goose egg" on my head.

as a general rule, i am very clutzy, which should make that last fact very...un-surprising. that should be a word.

sometimes i make up words.

i had the chicken pox twice...and i gave them to my brother - ha!

i cheered football & competition for six years.

one time, i knocked over one of my mom's flower pots and broke it, and then i told her it was my brother. she made evan sit in time out, while i could play. i felt really guilty, but i never told her the truth.

i tend to remember what i was wearing for some really random memories...if that didn't make sense, i'll try to clarify...

one time when i was camping with my family (in a pop-up camper), a bird pooped on my head. i was wearing a purple shirt that had belle from beauty & the beast on it, and matching purple shorts.

i am the queen of writing 10-page papers overnight...a very bad habit to get into.

in elementary school, my friend and i started an "i hate heather wheeler" club, and i felt so bad that i cried when i got home, and asked my mom to pray for me before i went to sleep.

i know all the words to too many barry manilow songs.

i have more shoes and bags than i care to count.

i have cried in a lot of commercials...mostly publix, or anything that has kids, especially with leukemia. also, if it has old people, or kids that you can "adopt" through some program...and even the abused animal ones. wow.

i'm probably one of the biggest pack-rats i've ever known...next to my grandmother and my mother. it's genetic.

that's all for now. when i think of some more good ones, maybe i'll put them on here :)

currently listening to: the elephant love medley from moulin rouge...a movie that makes me smile and cry.

i love my life.

i love my friends. my family. my church. my dog. even my cat (my cat's really the only cat i like).

i love that i work for one of my best friends. that i'm in a journey group with people who get me. that i go to the best church around. that even though i've been thinking that my car was going to just break for the last six months, lucy is still moving. that God answers prayers.

i love smiling. drinking starbucks. laughing. talking. playing the piano. singing. reading. shopping. watching tv. watching movies. taking pictures. acting silly. listening. driving. creating. walking barefoot in the grass.

i love red wine. the way fall smells. oak leaf church. the way it smells after rain. when i have a good hair day. a new pair of shoes. macbooks. a good bag. jeopardy! television in general. football. the olympics. my camera. my iPod. GAP. target. new york city.

i could go on for hours about the stuff in my life that i love. i think that's definitely a good thing :) i love my life.

mountain day.

it's that time of year again, and i couldn't be more excited for mountain day this weekend :) seriously. i can't wait to be with everyone and to see people that i haven't seen in too long. i love berry and all of the kind-of ridiculous traditions that come with being a berry alum :) we're planning a pretty awesome picnic for lunch that i'm thinking will make everyone jealous...i am just so excited!

currently listening to: viva la vida

gas.

okay, this whole wait-in-line-for-three-hours-to-get-gas thing is ridiculous. i just feel like if people would act normal, then a lot of the "crisis" would solve itself. clearly, there are some big issues that we would still need to deal with, but if people will just get gas like normal instead of filling up every gallon, then i think that would take care of the ridiculous lines and the out-of-gas gas stations. i also think that if we would just spend money like normal too, then the economy will start correcting itself as well. i'm not saying that we all need to go out and just buy tons of stuff that we don't need, but if we don't spend, then the economy just stops basically. anyway, just my thoughts on this ridiculous gas "crisis" and our slowing economy...let's spend our way out of it! :)

currently listening to: firewood production and bagging :)

a new season.

i love fall :) i love the smells, the colors, the weather and the magic. yes, the magic of fall. i love everything about it, and on top of starting a new season literally, i'm looking forward to a new season in my life too. summer brought a lot of heartache (a lot of good stuff happened too, but...), and i'm looking forward to everything that fall has in store for me :)

the office starts this week!

currently watching: dancing with the stars.

whoa.

it has been too long since i last updated this thing. things after labor day have been pretty hectic, though, so that's probably why :) we started doing a lot of packaging with Premier, and although my last two weeks are blending together a little, i know that brian, peter and lee worked a lot harder than i did, so the last two weeks are probably a blur to them. i'm excited to get back to some normalcy in the office this week :) i feel like i was really out of touch with everyone in the last two weeks, so i'm looking forward to that getting back to normal as well.

bekah and i joined a new journey group with rachel glanzer and mache thigpin, and i am so so so excited about it :) we met for the first time last tuesday night, and i know that this is going to be a great experience for us. don't get me wrong, i love our berry journey group from last year, but i'm pretty excited to be in an all girl journey group. i am also excited to really get to know more people :) in case you haven't noticed, i am really excited :)

so, yesterday i rode down to LaGrange with bekah's family to watch her brother play football, and can i just say that i had a blast. i love football. i love it. i love tailgating. i love watching other football fans. i love the game, and i love screaming so loud that i damage my vocal chords :) i do have a really ridiculous-looking sunburn today (the sun was mostly on the left side of my body the entire game), but it's totally worth it. unfortunately, we didn't win, but the guys played so so so well, and the refs made some pretty crappy calls. i'm not one to always call, "ref," but they did make some calls that i really think changed the outcome of the game. oh well, what matters is that the guys played their hearts out, and they looked so good out there :)

so, i've been watching a lot of the office lately. if you've talked to me at all, then you know this, but i just really love it. i laugh in every episode. that show has some of the most talented writers, directors and actors ever. gosh. i love it.

hopefully it won't take me quite as long to update as it did last time, but you never know. i tend to get distracted...story of my life.

currently listening to: u2. i love this band.

blue ridge :)

i love blue ridge. well, i have a love-slight dislike relationship with blue ridge, because i love the river, but we run out of things to do kind of quickly...this weekend, i'm up here with my mom's side of the family, and for the last two hours my cousins and i have just been laying around on four bunk beds hanging out, and i am quite enjoying myself :) we don't normally have chill time like this, because we're so used to thanksgiving and Christmas, where we don't just have lots of downtime. i think that this is going to be a good weekend, even if it does have its boring moments. i love my family :)

currently listening to: my cousins talking :)

some stuff i'm looking forward to...

as lame as this may be, these are the shows that i can't wait to watch:

one tree hill: september 1
america's next top model: september 3
dancing with the stars: september 22
THE OFFICE!: september 25
samantha who?: october 6
the bachelor: not sure, but i'm excited :)
american idol: january 2009
LOST: "early 2009" whatever that means

so...i'm not obsessed with television, but i do like it :) in addition to those shows, i'm always excited about regis & kelly, days of our lives (it's so ridiculous, and i love to laugh at it), wheel of fortune and jeopardy! i love them. i've also been trying to decide if i want to give kath & kim (10/9) a chance or if it's going to be too ridiculous. um, i guess this was just a tv show update. i love television...obviously.

currently watching: the closing ceremony...leona lewis and jimmy page are jamming right now :)

i just want to say...

that i love The Office. if you've never watched it, you should probably give it a try...just a couple of episodes at least :) it always makes me smile.

currently watching: you guessed it...The Office.

tomorrow, tomorrow...

you know the rest of the song...and now, it's probably going to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, but seriously, i cannot wait until tomorrow!!!

bekah is coming home :) :) :) i am ridiculously excited about seeing her. it's so weird to go from seeing someone almost everyday (or at least talking to them...multiple times a day) to being almost completely without any contact. i know i'm not the only one excited about seeing her...tracy and i squealed a little today we got so excited (we were also a little excited about are concert tomorrow, but that's beside the point) :). later, michael told us that we needed to act more like adults, but...whatever :)

the annual american idol concert is tomorrow!!! tomorrow. 7:00. me. tracy. the davids. i can't wait. i mean, there will also be thousands of other people (woohoo! bf08!!), but whatever. i love it.

i guess this post is just an expansion of one section of my last post, but these two things (along with Premier Firewood, Inc. and knowing more about matches than I ever wanted to know) are on my mind 24/7 right now :) :) :)

one more thing: oak leaf was awesome today. don't get me wrong, it's always amazing to me, but will and the band opened the service in pitch-black darkness singing one of will's songs ("be still") from his new cd ("more of you"). then michael spoke about the contrast between light and darkness, and how as Christians, we are called to shine brightly into the darkest places instead of just shining with eachother...light doesn't need light, darkness does. instead of blaming the darkness for being dark, we (the light) should shine brigher.

life update.

i've been neglecting my blog too much, so i feel like i have a lot of stuff to talk about...it will probably only end up being one or two things, but it feels like a lot.

for starters, my brother is moving to college tomorrow. this is very very weird for me. i have never lived in this house without him (even though several years ago i probably wished for that). it's not going to be the same at all. don't get me wrong - i'm so proud of evan for going to college and for 'getting out' so that he can learn some responsibility and self-discipline, but selfishly, i'm going to be a little sad.

here's some big news: i have a job! officially. i am so excited to be jumping on board Premier Firewood, Inc. as the Public Relations Director. i've been searching for a job all summer, and even though i knew that God had something for me, it was starting to get discouraging. i was very grateful during the month of july that i didn't have a major commitment because i would have gone crazy. i'm not really sure what happened to july. i feel like it disappeared. that's beside the point. the point is that i am now employed, working with great people (some of my best friends) and doing something that i love. i have a great adventure ahead of me :)

what else...? the olympics are taking over my life. i love the summer olympics...i love the winter olympics too, but the summer ones are on right now, so they are on my mind. swimming and gymnastics are my favorites, but i'll pretty much watch anything that's on. i am constantly amazed by the athletes that are here...i'm not going to lie - i have teared up several times. i just get kind of emotional...not that that's really a shock to anyone :)

bekah is coming home in one week!! ONE WEEK!! i am so excited :) next monday is going to be awesome -
1. get to see bek
2. get to see david cook :) going to the american idol concert with tracy is one of my favorite traditions :) so is our last-minute, all-day Christmas shopping trip to Barrett Parkway...last year, we went to the mall four times in the same day.

i guess that's all for now...i will legally have health insurance soon!! yesssss.

currently watching: the olympics...men's gymnastics and swimming (i love michael phelps). it's a good night...even if i do lose some sleep :)

d2: the mighty ducks

i just wanted to take a moment and say that mighty ducks 1-3 are three of the best movies ever. right on up there with angels in the outfield, the sandlot, rookie of the year and many others that came out during my childhood/adolescence.

currently watching: regis & kelly...i love when anderson cooper guest co-hosts :)

twenty-two.

so, i turned 22 yesterday. considering the week (really, the month) that i had, it's pretty needless to say that my birthday snuck up on me. i think that 22 is a very weird age. i think 23 will be weirder, though, because at least 22 is the same number twice, which is kind of cool...i know, i'm weird, but nothing cool happens when you turn 22...23...or 24...or any age after 25. the only thing that happens when you turn 25 is that you can rent a car...and apparently a beach house. i'm thinking that 23 is probably going to be like 19. or 12. both are very uneventful ages. i'm sure that my analysis of ages is probably lame, but it's all i really have to say, so... :)

oh, we did eat at maggiano's for dinner last night and it was like WHOA! good. tracy was going to try and surprise me, but she had a super long meeting...it's the thought that counts...and i really mean that :)

currently watching: regis & kelly...our tv is back!!

psalm 73:25-26

whom have i in heaven but You?
and there is nothing on earth that i
desire besides You.
my flesh and my heart my fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

currently listening to: the mamma mia! soundtrack

the joy of the LORD is my strength.

that statement has never been more true than it is for me right now. i couldn't even stand if it weren't for His strength. i couldn't be more grateful for the amazing people that God has placed in my life. i am surrounded by people who love Him and who will lift me up in prayer, and i am so so so thankful for those prayers. God constantly amazes me and sustains me.

currently watching: good eats.

i love to laugh :)

last night, lauren, trace and i went out to eat at bella roma, and the food was good, but the company was better. i couldn't have been more thankful for those two and the laughter that they brought me yesterday and last night. i really needed that, and it was so good just to be with them.

this morning was the first day for oak leaf to be back at the theater, and i was beyond excited to be back. that's where it all began, and where i first started going to oak leaf, and it was just so great to be back there again. we got up at 4:30 this morning (not kidding), and drove down to the theater, where there were already tons of people running around setting up different stuff...i ended up going to walmart for some picture frames, duct tape and sharpies...and then again for some allen/hex wrenches. it was so great to see so many servants there this morning making sure that everything was perfect for our first day back. i am so blessed to be involved in such a great church that loves the Lord and truly desires to do everything possible (short of sin) to bring lost people in and move people from where they are to where God wants them to be.

for all of you who have been praying for my papa, my family and me, thank you. it truly means so so so much to me. also, please keep praying. we need it. i'm more than thankful to have people in my life who will lift me up in prayer. God has truly blessed me.

currently listening to: silence.

AmericasMartAtlanta

the fact that that's all one word kind of bothers me, but that's the real name. friday through monday, i spent my days waking up between 4:30 and 5:00, leaving canton, standing up all day, then leaving atlanta at 6:00-ish, getting back to the britts' house, going to bed and doing it all over again. tuesday, however was break down. that means that we had to leave even earlier (i woke up at 4:15), drive the GIANT truck in to downtown atlanta, stop showing at 3:00 instead of 6:00 and then completely pack up all of the pillows, tea towels, lights, shelves, carpet and a number of other things that we used in booth 3-1-240. for those of you who watch gilmore girls (and everyone should), in the dance marathon episode, break down would be equivalent to the run-around. i block it out every year for a really good reason...it's horrible.

taylor & coultas is the company that i work for selling pillows and tea towels. it was started 20 years ago by debbie bartz, and until last year, everything we sold was handmade by about 30 seamstresses in central illinois. we've recently changed that, so we had to move from booth 3-2-201 to 3-1-240...it was sad because we had to leave behind some of our favorite neighbors. james sells this AMAZING pottery that his sister makes, and i finally bought a piece. it's awesome. michael was another one of our neighbors, and he makes this really incredible stuff out of iron...book shelves, wine racks...it's really cool. our new neighbors are pretty cool too - jimmy & chris sell nativities and ornaments that are carved out of olive wood (they're from bethlehem!!) and dave sells rafia :) they are all cool people, and i really enjoyed getting to know them...luckily, we still saw james and michael a lot too :)

now that it's over, it seems like the longest week ever, but also extremely short. it's weird, and although i'm hoping that a job will keep me from working the entire january show, i want to at least go in and see everyone :) working everyday = complete exhaustion. my entire body is sore, and i want nothing more than to sit and do nothing all day. too bad i have stuff to do :)

currently watching: days of our lives (on SOAPnet) and listening to roofers that are re-roofing our house. they have been here since 7:47, and it really sounds like someone is beating on my skull with a hammer...not fun.

...

i can't even think of a good title for this post. i'm beyond exhaustion, and i can't wait to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep after market last week...more to come later.

currently watching: the All-Star game...i love baseball :)

oh, market.

yesterday marked the beginning of the atlanta gift show at the mart downtown. mike (bekah's dad) picked me and my brother up at 7:00 a.m., and we drove in to atlanta to meet debbie (the owner of the company that we work for - she sells pillows and tea towels). so yesterday was "set up" which meant we turned a rectangular plot of carpet into a booth. while it is kind of cool to see the end result, the day was exhausting. we didn't leave the booth until 6:25-ish, so needless to say, i was pretty tired by the time i got home last night (just in time for jeopardy! thank goodness). today is an off day...well, i'm going to clean the house and then pack all my stuff because i'll be staying at the britts' house until tuesday. i would just like to restate how weird it will be to be at their house without bekah.

tomorrow is when the real fun begins...i'm being a little sarcastic, but just a little - i really do like it, but by the end of market, i will be the closest to death that i've ever been...well, second closest. we will leave canton at around 6:00 in the morning, and we probably won't get back until between 6:00 & 7:00...by the time we eat dinner and make our lunches for the next day, it's all we can do to stay awake long enough to actually get ready for bed. standing all day is not good. while i am super excited to see tracy tonight and leanna tomorrow night, i can't wait for tuesday night to get here...

currently watching: regis & kelly :)

glory, glory, hallelujah

so, last night, tracy and i met haley, bridgette, phillip (bridgette's boyfriend), allison and clint (two of bridgette's friends) at stone mountain. we played some uno and watched the laser show, and i have to admit that i really love the laser show. i feel like my family used to go all the time, because i feel like i've seen it a thousand times, but i hadn't seen it in several years, so it was fun to see how it changed...and how it stayed the same :) this is ridiculous, but when elvis is singing, i sometimes get a little emotional...i cry a lot. at one point, we were a little afraid that we were going to get a storm, but it only sprinkled for a few minutes, and then it quit, so that was nice :)

after we got home last night, tracy and i watched the bachelorette, and i have to say that we were totally shocked that she chose jesse instead of jason. i know that it's completely unimportant and it's just a reality tv show, but we were still shocked...then we went to bed too late, and tracy had to get up too early...i felt bad for her this morning.

this post is seeming completely pointless, but oh well.

currently watching: jeopardy! on gsn :)

july 4th :)

every 4th of july, my family and i go to blue ridge, where we have a house on the toccoa river. it's one of my favorite traditions, because it is one of the two times that i get to see some of my favorite family members :) i know you're not supposed to pick favorites, and i really love them all the same, and blah, blah, blah, but let's get real. my cousin christopher is one year older than me, so we've always been pretty close, especially as we've gotten older. he is my grandfather's brother's grandson...if that makes sense. anyway, that whole side of my family lives in florida, so we only see them on the 4th and thanksgiving...when we do this day-after-thanksgiving-eat-as-much-as-you-can thanksgiving celebration. it's really awesome, actually. this year was a blast, and probably the first year in my entire life that i haven't seen fireworks on the 4th of july, but i didn't mind :) i love being with my family that i rarely get to see.

i really love oak leaf church. i've said it before, but this morning as i was driving to cartersville, i just couldn't wait to get there. i love seeing everyone, and i love smiling at people and greeting them when they come in. michael's message was awesome this morning (actually, i thinks it's pretty awesome every sunday...), and everyone should check it out online...last week's was also really good, so i would watch/listen to that one too :) on a side note: i am so psyched about going back to the theater on july 20!!

mart begins this week, so from wednesday...well, friday until next tuesday, i will be in a constant state of exhaustion. seriously. long days. i'll be missing bekah even more than normal this week...it will be so weird to be doing mart without her...and to be spending the night at her house without her...haha. i'm really bummed about not being at church on sunday. like i said, i can hardly wait for sundays to roll around so that i can go to church, so i'm pretty sad about this coming sunday...i'll probably watch it online :)

currently listening to: the taxi (i'm kind of obsessed right now)...plus some thunder outside :) :) :)

caitlin and jer.

i just want to start by saying that their wedding was the most beautiful, classy wedding that i've ever been to. caitlin was absolutely gorgeous - words can't even describe her beauty. jer was so happy - he couldn't stop smiling :) it was just wonderful. the ceremony was perfect and the reception was beyond nice. it was so great to see them finally get married, and it was also great to see everyone from berry :)

i stayed with the kases again this weekend, and it was just as great as last weekend :) i truly love those two. they finished the guest room, and it looks awesome!

i'm in blue ridge for the week with my family and without internet access...i actually drove home today to check my email and get some clothes and other things that my mom needs for the rest of the week...i'm not sure when i'll be able to check my email again, but we'll see :)

currently watching: days of our lives

storms.

i love storms :) i used to really hate them...like go and sleep with my parents because i'm pretty afraid of tornadoes, and to me, tornadoes came when it stormed...anyway, i love them now...at least when it's still daylight :) otherwise, i at least like to check the weather. it's finally storming here, and i've been expecting it for the last few days.

i can't wait for tomorrow! not only am i going to be hanging out with some pretty cool people, but i am beyond excited to see two of my friends (caitlin and jer) get married :) :) :) i really can't wait. as brian said to me earlier this week, i'm also looking forward to some more kenny g. and chill time with two of my best friends :) i really do love those kases :)

so, after church on sunday, i'll leave to go to blue ridge for the week. we don't have internet there, which is probably going to drive me a little crazy, but i think i'll just take my computer and try and find somewhere with wifi. i just need to check my email. it's a pretty bad addiction, but like i say about my caffeine addiction, it could be worse. it could be crack.

anyway, i can't wait to wear some pretty awesome shoes tomorrow that trace bought me at target...she bought herself the same ones :) we have a lot of the same shoes, which makes for some pretty fun times, if you ask me :)

currently listening to: 97.1 the river. i love this radio station.

chocolate milk.

i love chocolate milk. seriously. sometimes i crave it...like right now. i'll probably get some in a minute :)

ben and lindsay carter got married on saturday, and it was wonderful! the wedding was great, and lindsay looked absolutely beautiful :) it was also fun to see everyone and just have fun...i can't wait until jer and caitlin get married this weekend!! i am so excited :) :) :)

i spent the night at brian and tracy's on saturday night, and i was just reminded of how much i truly love those two. after the wedding, we just sat around in the living room for like 2 or 3 hours and listened to kenny g. and just talked and enjoyed each other's company. i just love being around them. they are true examples of love and selflessness, and i'm not sure what i would do without them.

i've been missing bekah a lot lately, but i'm so excited for everything that is going on in romania :) today i bought some shoes at target that i'm pretty sure i've made her look at about fifty times...i've been waiting for them to go on sale, and they finally were today!! it was just weird that she wasn't there...we went to target a lot before she left...i mean, i still go a lot, but still :)

i can't wait to see nicole on wednesday! we are meeting at panera, and let me just say that panera has the BEST salads. i'm obsessed with the strawberry poppyseed (i think it's got a really long name that i can't remember) salad...and they have this one that has apples in it that is SO good. i just can't wait. this is going to be a good week :)

currently watching: the news...while my mom sleeps on the couch :) she is so cute.

still searching.

i just want to say that i have not found the job search very easy or very fun. i'm still not that worried about it, though :) the only thing that i really need (other than income) is to have insurance, so that's why i still look everyday to see if i can find something.

our internet is out right now. i find that extremely annoying. it's not like spring break when not having the internet was kind of liberating, it's just like, "well. now i can't even pretend to be productive while watching tv, because i can't even search for jobs. i can do nothing." that being said, my brother is taking care of his best friend's dogs while he's on vacation, so i've been going over there with him to steal their wireless, and right now, i'm at the woodstock public library for the second time in two days using their wireless.

i laid out by the pool today, and i just want to say that i love summer. to read about my favorite summer, you should check out tracy's blog, because she did a perfect job of describing it :)

currently listening to: nothing. something's humming to my right. i can hear people turning pages. someone is trying to check out a book. one lady is talking really loudly on her phone...in the library. she obviously didn't learn about inside voices and how you are supposed to be quiet in the library.

"it blew up."

i just want to say that i love tracy's sister lauren. seriously. she cracks me up, and she is so cute....well, in the last six months she's become more like gorgeous (she's grown up a lot). the point of all this is to tell you this story:

yesterday, lauren came to hang out with tracy and me, and after a while, she decided that she wanted a brownie. tracy and i were hanging out in the living room, and lauren went to get a brownie and heat it up in the microwave...after a bit, all we here from the kitchen is, "uh...it blew up." tracy and i were a little confused, but we jumped up to find the kitchen FULL of smoke and it was pouring into the dining room. i just want to say that lauren tried to microwave the brownie for a minute. 60 seconds. that's about six times as many seconds as needed to sufficiently do the job. we opened all the doors and windows to try and air it out, but unfortunately it still smells this morning. i think we're going to try and get some oust today.

currently listening to: jason mraz

i love the word "stoked." i'm bringing it back.

this week has been great, and i'm thinking the weekend is going to get even better :) other than the fact that bekah hasn't been here for me to drive around aimlessly and spend way too much money at target with, the week has been wonderful.

i'm so glad that bekah made it to romania and i can't wait to hear all about it!! i'm pretty sure she was traveling for a solid 24 hours. not exactly my idea of fun. i barely like traveling for six or seven hours...i can't imagine 24.

so, back to my week :) i really didn't do much. i laid out a couple of times with evan and trace...my shoulders got a little burnt, but it was totally worth it. i just relaxed, and on thursday, i went to barnes & noble, target, and the woodstock (now it's fillmore) coffeehouse. i love days to myself sometimes. they are refreshing :) last night, my parents and i ate at chick-fil-a and then looked at cars!!!! i need a new car. it's looking up for me in that area...now i need a job :)

we are leaving soon to go down and visit my grandparents for father's day. i'm so excited. they live south of atlanta, so we don't get to see them as often as i'd like to. we won't be there for too long, but getting to see them will be great :) after i get back from that, i am driving to rome to hang out with trace all weekend, and i am pretty stoked about that :)

currently listening to: the whir of my fan...some birds chirping...and a little colbie to start the morning :)

summer.

this is the part of summer that i love: doing nothing by the pool :) the weather today is awesome...not too hot, but just warm enough that the pool water felt great. i am looking forward to more days like this one, but also hoping that there aren't many more due to the fact that i am employed :) the job hunt continues.

currently watching: days of our lives. don't laugh.

my weekend.

this weekend was great :) on friday, i got to hang out with bekah, trace and leanna. we all just kind of hung around and helped bekah pack for romania, so it was nice.

saturday morning, there was a leadership summit for oak leaf, where michael told all the volunteers that he is hoping to buy a building for oak leaf. that is so exciting, because we wouldn't be losing the feel of the movie theater in this new building :) i love oak leaf. after the leadership summit, brian, tracy and i went to jittery joe's to hang out before the georgia barbeque classic. although it was SO HOT, i really enjoyed the bbq classic. we just gave people free bottles of water and balloons and invited them to oak leaf. giving away water was such a great idea because it was ridiculously hot and i know people needed some h2o.

sunday, michael started the joshua series - "crossing over." it was great. i mean it. i'll probably get the podcast and listen to it again. makaila, tracy and i went to mcdonald's afterward (nutritious, i know), and let me just say that double cheeseburgers are amazing. we saw nathan, hannah and jake and mcdonald's too, so that was fun :) nathan has the coolest sunglasses.

sunday night was totally bittersweet. i ate dinner with the britts + matt, which was really fun :) we had some appetizers (which were so good) and then mr. britt grilled steaks. yum. the bitter part is that i had to tell bekah goodbye. even though i know it's just a "see you later," because she'll be back in 10 weeks, i was not as strong as trace. i lost it. i mean i was sobbing. it was really bad, but i couldn't even help it. i am truly going to miss her, and i know that there will be a million times over the summer when someone says of thinks, "i wish bekah was here."

enough of that :) some insurance guy is coming to look at my car and my dad's truck because we got some hail damage, so unfortunately, i won't be laying out by the pool today, but i will be doing that at some point this week :)

this post has been long enough. if you read it all, you rock :)

currently watching: regis & kelly. i love this show.

well.

i think it really hit me for the first time today that bekah is leaving soon. i've almost cried more times than i can count, and i know that i'll be seeing her again on sunday. saying goodbye then is something i'm dreading. i couldn't be more proud of bekah for being so brave. she truly has a heart for others and a passion for sharing God's love. she is someone that i look up to probably more than she knows. i can't wait to hear about romania and the children that will surely capture her heart, but for now, i'm going to be a little sad.

currently listening to: the beautiful music that is the pride & prejudice soundtrack...well, i'm watching it :)

facts of life.

i need a job. i want to work in cartersville because i want to be close to my church. i have a bachelor's degree in communication, and i would really like to do anything where i can use those skills, whether that's event planning and organization or graphic design work. why is it so hard to find a job? okay, back to the hunt.

this post seems very random to me.

this weekend was absolutely exhausting. starting thursday night and continuing until saturday night, our family was going crazy trying to everything for my brother's graduation. we were constantly moving and cleaning and cooking and a million other things. needless to say, by the time sunday morning rolled around, i was sleepy. if it wouldn't have been for oak leaf church, i probably wouldn't have gotten out of bed at all...in fact, i'm pretty sure no one else in my family went anywhere.

i am convinced that i go to the best church ever. i'm not trying to brag or anything, but i honestly believe that God is doing AMAZING things through our church, and i can't wait to see them all happen :) it is so refreshing to be a part of a real church that wants to impact the surrounding community. i love it. i'm so glad that i am done with school and that i can become more involved in my church and in our community. i can't wait :)

so, sunday (after church), several of our friends got together, because we all wanted to be together and hang out as a group one more time before bekah leaves for romania. i can't believe that she'll be leaving in less than a week now for ten weeks. i'm not sure exactly how i will survive. seeing bekah get emotional last night was absolutely heartbreaking. tracy and i got emotional just seeing her cry. this is going to be hard, and i know that the end of this week is going to be an emotional one, but at least i have time to prepare for it. the truth is, i couldn't be more proud of my friend. she is one of the bravest people i know, and i know that she is going to make a huge impact in the lives of those children. i can't wait to see God work through her over there, but here, i will be missing her. missing her and praying for her and waiting to hear from her :) i have amazing friends with amazing hearts, and this is just one example.

i'm thinking that my dad was wanting to play cards tonight, so i'm going to go see if that's the case or if he's already asleep on the couch...which is also possible.

currently listening to: a colbie caillat song that i bought on iTunes - "dreams collide"...i love her voice.

yikes.

so, my brother is graduating from high school today. this is a weird feeling.

currently listening to: the whir of my fan mixed with the sound of a leaf blower...yes.

LOST.

i am so so so excited about the LOST season finale tonight. season finales are always bittersweet, because they are usually AWESOME, but then you have to wait forever for the next season to start. i don't know what i'm going to do now that all my shows are ending. not watching american idol on tuesday and wednesday was weird. so, i'm watching jeopardy right now, and one of the contestants was just talking about how she let her daughter name herself...like a day after she was born, she and her husband read their top five names to her and watched to see if she had any reaction to the names...the name that she "chose" was Petra. i'm wondering if maybe the "reaction" that her parents saw was more of disdain than approval...then again, the other choices weren't that great either.

i babysat today. i'm 22. i'm a college graduate, and i babysat. oh well :) i don't really mind...i will say, however, that i was reminded of my dislike of changing diapers.

one more thing - tracy and i are reading the bible chronologically, and i am really enjoying it :)

currently watching/listening to: jeopardy...i really love this show...and i cannot wait for LOST!

finally.

in lieu of my last post, i'd like to second the fact that i still need a job. i would also like to add that i am currently thinking that i would like a job doing event planning/organization and also the marketing/advertising for those events. i decided that tonight on the way home from a dinner with the hospitality team at my church and then some starbucks. i'm sick of people asking me what i want to do and not having anything to say, so now i have something to say. finally. i just hope that what i want is possible. i don't want to work in a job where i'm unhappy just to get experience, but if i have to, then i guess that's my only choice...it's just not my first. well, i guess that's about all for now. tomorrow, i begin the hardcore search...after i watch regis & kelly and take my car in to get "tuned up"...whatever that really means...cars don't play any music, so i'm not sure why you have to tune them, but then again, i don't really know that much about cars, so...there's my plan.

currently listening to: josh groban sing "february song"

i need a job.

enough said.

currently listening to: david cook sing "still haven't found what i'm looking for" and loving it.

what a mighty God we serve.

have you ever thought to yourself, "i am about to die" and really believed it? i hadn't until yesterday when i was stuck in a car and tornado was a mile away. it's basically the weirdest feeling in the world, i think. i couldn't even see the road. it was so dark and stormy. hail was coming down, and limbs and leaves were flying all around me. i know that God was holding me in that moment. God never ceases to amaze me. it's so incredible to me what a powerful God we serve. He's powerful enough to uproot trees and throw trampolines from one yard to the next, but also powerful enough to make sure that our house wasn't damaged at all. i am in awe.

on a lighter note, i am SO glad that david cook is our american idol :) i can't wait for the concert.

currently listening to: fox 5 news talk about a 15-year old middle schooler...

there's no place like home.

so, i've been home now for over a week. it feels so weird...it's just different because i haven't really lived at home in over a year...my days pretty much consist of talking to bekah, watching regis & kelly and days of our lives, cleaning out some stuff and trying to come up with something to do. don't get me wrong, i completely love that i don't have any papers to write or any research to do, but when my parents get home, i feel guilty that i haven't done much all day. the truth is, i just don't have much to do, and there's only so much to do around the house before i run out of stuff.

i'm waiting to hear about a potential job right now, but hopefully i won't have to wait too long, because i'm getting anxious/impatient. what's weird to think about is the fact that once i start working, it won't really stop...it's not just a summer job. welcome to reality :)

well, i missed days yesterday because bekah and i were laying out by the pool, so now i'm watching it on soapnet...is that ridiculous? to be honest, i don't really have anything better to do :) as soon as it's over, though i'm going to shower and then go to chick-fil-a...i basically crave it on tuesdays now. mmmmmm.

tomorrow.

graduation.

one word sums up four years and a multitude of emotions.

currently listening to: whatever is on tv...it was "the soup," but now i'm not sure...

done.

i can't believe that i am done with college. it still hasn't fully sunk in yet...it's beginning to, but it still just feels like finals week to me. it's such a weird feeling. after going to school from august until may for as long as i can remember, it feels strange to know that i won't be starting again in the fall. although it is strange, i can't wait. i am so excited for whatever is next for me. i don't know exactly what it is, but i'm ready for a new adventure.

yesterday we had the COM department dinner, and it was wonderful. diane got it catered by harvest moon - boiled shrimp, potatoes and mexican cornbread. it was delicious. and the brownies were AMAZING. i'm pretty sure they were the best brownies i've ever had...and i've had a lot of brownies :) anyway, after dinner we played some bocce ball, and it was so much fun. i am truly going to miss the people that have all had a part in shaping who i am. i am convinced that i have had the best professors...and they have the cutest kids :)

i'm so ready for summer and for more days like this one - hanging out, watching tv and doing nothing except what i want to do :)

currently listening to: martha stewart talking about some sort of neckroll or something...

ready?

i went to my last class ever today. it's really hard for me to fully grasp that concept. i'm finding it hard to believe that in august, i won't be coming back to school. i won't be gearing up for papers and projects. i will not go to another class. it just hasn't fully sunk in yet. it's starting to, and i'm sure that on monday, when i turn in my very last college assignment ever, it will sink in even further. so, no more classes. now, all i have left is a news feature article about political activism through the internet and a screenplay about a commitment-shy 24-year-old girl that just really needs to find herself. i am so ready. and so unready at the same time.

currently listening to: the humming noise my computer makes...haley's already asleep, and i don't want to be rude.

wow.

less than two weeks until graduation. i cannot believe it. i have three more big projects to do, and then i'm free. it's so weird. i'm so excited to be here and be done with school work. just hanging out with the amazing people that have impacted my life in more ways than i could have ever hoped for. my friends have become a part of who i am, and i will always be thankful for the fact that i have been changed for good (and for the better). okay, i don't really have time to get emotional right now, so enough of that...i'm almost done! now, who wants to find me a job?

here goes...

so, here's the big jump to blogging. we'll see whether or not i keep it up, but i'm going to try :)

i can't believe that i am in my last week of classes forever!! i'm excited, but i'll admit that the whole "college is over" thing is definitely bittersweet. i'm so glad to be done with tests and papers and projects and...the list goes on, but it will never be like this again. i'm more excited than sad, though :) i can't wait for this next adventure.

currently listening to: sara bareilles