She's Sun and Rain

I love country music. Not only that but I was utterly, completely obsessed with Hootie and the Blowfish when I was in High School. I went through this brief idiotic period of time when I went to all the USC games and they would perform in the half time shows. The drummer used to play soccer there and I met him one time, can't really remember where...but thought I was the coolest person ever.  I can't tell you how many Hootie concerts I went to. Probably 20. Every time they were anywhere around North or South Carolina, I went. Sometimes they played with Edwin McCain and that was just a bonus. So, when Adam and I were talking about choosing songs for the wedding and reception, I definitely wanted Darius in there somewhere. We put him on the wedding webpage using his song "Alright". When we got to the reception the DJ came up to me and asked me about the last song because I had just emailed him several. I said, let's do "History in the Making" and he said, ...

Well...we did it! We got married :) Gotta say that November 21 was the most wonderful day of my life. The sun was shining, the birds were singing (at least I'm sure they were), it was a mild 65 degrees and as promised, we both said I do! A few of the photos are HERE so you can check them out. Rebecca, our amazing friend and photographer took them. Everything went exactly as planned and crazy enough, no big mishaps. We had amazing music from Shelly and Mike and Lem from Carmel Baptist. We took outdoor photos afterwards with family and most of them stayed...of course a few always wander off. I loved the decor...thanks to Colleen and all her hard work. The food was great, the cake was beautiful, everyone looked amazing...and the DJ was fantastic. Overall...I couldn't be happier with the way it all turned out. Being with Adam that day was, as Ruby put it, like a fairytale. Since then, we went to Mexico for our honeymoon and enjoyed Thanksgiving day riding ATVs. See facebook for...

I wonder what it is that makes a kiss the end all be all. At the end of every good (good meaning a happy ending) chick flick, there is a kiss. Sweet Home Alabama started and ended with one. Just Married. You've Got Mail. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Spiderman, the upside down kiss.  Lots of kissing going on in these movies. Sometimes it's a dance I guess, but usually a Kiss.  There's the song by Faith Hill, This Kiss. The band named Kiss. Of course there's Hershey's. The first kiss is always a big deal too. Everyone always wants to know, "Has he kissed you yet?" Haha. Then, in a wedding when they pronounce you husband and wife, a Kiss. It seals it. Sealed with a kiss. That's it...it's now in stone, there was a kiss! :) God must have made us that way. The kiss, I mean you think about it. You talk with your mouth, you eat with it, drink, blow bubbles, put on chapstick, you sing...it's like, a big deal. So of course expressing yourself with you...

Here's a bit of analytical psychobabble for you. Enjoy. It's Thursday evening...8:04pm. I have been running around all day trying to be productive. Thus far, success. Now, however, I am sitting in my lil apartment over the garage in fleece pants, a warm Blair sweatshirt, socks, and a ponytail. I just finished a bowl of frosted flakes. I love frosted flakes. I love them anytime of the day but particularly at night. I was just sitting here thinking, why do I love frosted flakes at night? I was also thinking how I'd give anything to have a ten minute conversation with my dad at this stage in my life. I'm getting ready to get married, move to a new city, and start a whole new season of life. If he were around, we'd have been chatting this up from day one. So tonight as I was thinking a phone call to dad would be lovely, I eat a bowl of frosted flakes instead. Literally - thought process went - "man, I'd really love to talk with my dad right now...dad and I alwa...

What a year it has been and will continue to be. A journey for sure. To think back already so far this year, it started New Years in Raleigh with lots of great friends, then my birthday in Charlotte with lots of great friends and surprised by Adam, another year spent working on Valentines day, being 'fired' or whatever you may call it, getting engaged, planning a wedding, losing an uncle, moving twice already...what a year eh? Lots of ups and downs and through it all I hope I come out of this year 'shining'. I'm still on my journey of getting in shape and reading through the New Testament for those of you who may have been keeping up. I just started Acts and am really excited about reading through this book. Already I have been better about picking it up and reading it daily this week. The gospels are great because you get to learn about Jesus's life, death, and resurrection from different points of view... but I'm liking Acts too because it is teaching me ...

Going through my blog and friends blogs I am realizing that my circle of bloggers is slowing and people are blogging less frequently. That sentence used blog in different forms many times. Anywho, should I call it quits on the blog world...since it seems so many have already done so?

I have spent the last couple of days at the coast getting 'organized'. Haha. I've finally gotten all my photos downloaded and stalked all my friends for theirs, leaving with me with nothing left except to print photos, post them to facebook, and blog. What a world we live in, so much technology to keep up with! Here are some from summer to get started... Summer Camp with Team Church June/July . Looking glass falls The whole group in Hendersonville. Our historic Sonic runs. A yearly tradition. Rainbow Falls, so pretty Margaret and I on one of our many hikes down to Turtleback Falls. 4th of July @ Lake Tillery Greg and Brandi going for a ride on the Jet Ski Greg learning how to take the fish off the hook. Hangin out at the lake... At the Braves game in Atlanta with Abilene and Adam's family Adam and Ava At Joe's Crab Shack in Myrtle Beach with Abilene's Jr/Sr Retreat At Jeff and Jen Salisbury's wedding  More F...

I can't seem to find my camera cord that uploads pictures to the computer. Once I can find it, I promise LOTS of pics to come your way!

I doubt my blog has ever made blogspot's "Blogs of Note". Or that anyone hitting the 'next blog' button has ever spent more than two seconds reading my ramblings. That's just what they are...ramblings. I usually have random topics or thoughts or things that make my heart jump or something that bothered me or pictures from a recent event. Tonight I went to see Julie and Julia with Shelly. It was a great movie written about a blog that was started by Julie Powell learning to cook Julia Child's recipes. She would go to her mundane job every day and come home and cook because she enjoyed it. She turned something she loved into a life. Eventually the blog became a book which then became a movie that I'd go watch on a Sunday night in September with Shelly. Now... I have spent (as most people do at times I'm sure) a significant amount of time and energy lately trying to figure out what it is I should do with this life God has given me. When I was very lit...

Joe Fox : You know, sometimes I wonder... Kathleen Kelly : What? Joe Fox : Well... if I hadn't been Fox Books and you hadn't been The Shop Around the Corner, and you and I had just, well... met... Kathleen Kelly : I know. Joe Fox : Yeah. I would have asked for your number, and I wouldn't have been able to wait twenty-four hours before calling you and saying, "Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee or, you know, drinks or dinner or a movie... for as long as we both shall live?" Kathleen Kelly : Joe... Joe Fox : And you and I would have never been at war. And the only thing we'd fight about would be which video to rent on a Saturday night. Kathleen Kelly : Well, who fights about that? Joe Fox : Well, some people. Not us. Kathleen Kelly : We would never. Joe Fox : If only.

2009 Coastal Living Idea Home - CoastalLiving.com Shared via AddThis Among my most recent list of things to do, this is now officially on it and happening. I'm not sure when or with whom, but I'm going. Anyone want to go with me let me know :) This is like my favorite town ever and my favorite magazine ever, combined. It's like a dream come true!

The past week or two I have been doing alot of thinking, imagine that. My life is about to drastically change in many ways. Already this year I have gone from single to engaged, from employed to unemployed, from knowing I live in Charlotte to knowing I won't be, and soon...I will be a wife of a new husband living in a new state, Georgia, at a new church, in a new house, with a new (hopefully wonderful fun loving happy people) job. So, needless to say there is alot to think about. Since being engaged I have thought frequently about being a good, godly, loving, kind, patient, unselfish... wife. Haha wow what a list of adjectives. I feel like I have so much to learn and it's scary going into it. My cooking is okay, definitely not anything to write home about. I'm incredibly selfish most of the time and it's a huge challenge for me to constantly remind myself that I am not the only one getting married! My plusses are that I can clean and organize like a champ. Haha. Humblin...

There are few things in life that give me a natural high. Among that list: The feeling going over the bridge to get to the beach...any beach, like Sunset Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Oak Island, Holden. That feeling gives me a rush. And don't even think of going over it without the windows down. The wind through my hair and the smell of exhaust from a boat on the open water. Any water. Live music. Any good music. Loud music in the car on a road trip with the windows down. Inspiring this post today - the most recent song from Keith Urban called "Only You Can Love Me This Way" and Lady Antebellum's blog. I love their blog. Every Wednesday they do a webisode and it makes me smile. I listen to their CD on my ipod all the time. www.ladyantebellum.blogspot.com The Ipod. Thank you Sam. Hiking to a Waterfall. This is among the natural high list. There's something about turning a corner and seeing a waterfall. Or a view from a mountaintop, yes. Praise the Lord. Good deep mea...

Yep. What? That is how I am feeling. What a couple of weeks it has been. So much family stuff going on I have felt like I was drowning in it sordof. Going to try to crawl my way out this weekend. I've decided to not over-do myself and try to train for this 1/2 in October. I'm going to keep on working out but maybe do something a little later. Too much ambition and things going on right now for me to make all that happen. There's been a hint of fall in the air the past couple of days and it reminds me of hiking and waterfalls and football and jeans. The first Wolfpack game is tomorrow night, oh how I miss those games! Life has changed so much! I gotta tell ya, I'm missin me some Raleigh right now. Tonight we had our fall kickoff of The Pursuit. Pure amazingness. We had 160ish kids and the energy in the auditorium was awesome. LOVED it! Looking forward to this season of hometeams and The Pursuit. Looking forward to new journeys too...lots coming up, lots changing, lots ha...

RUN ANOTHER 1/2 MARATHON! But I'm going to do it with Margaret Sanders on October 31, 2009!! Woop there it is people. We are starting to train on Sunday, first 3 mile run is on Monday. Please pray that my legs hold up! Adam and I have this joke about how I always say I'm "never going to do ___ " and then I end up doing it. So, I said after I ran my last 1/2 in Va Beach that I'd never do it again. And fate takes its course and here I go!

I posted last August 2008 a list of things that I wanted to do. Unfortunately I haven't accomplished many, but I am on my way to number 24 and have definitely accomplished numbers 61 and 62. 24. Get married to a man who loves Jesus with his whole heart and is honest. 61. Spend an afternoon in a hammock. 62. Enjoy dusk. It's my favorite time of day. I think I might need some new goals. One of them was to read through the whole bible. I have started with the New Testament and am on John. I've already done two bible studies with John, but in order to keep this going I am going to read through it again. I do need to finish my Alaska scrapbook, and I might try to work on it a little next week. I have an interview on Monday, so hopefully that will go well, but other than that and looking for jobs, I still have some free time. I've been working out and planning wedding stuff...so my schedule has actually been rather busy, but can definitely squeeze some things in. Tomorrow we ...

This past weekend Adam and I went to Raleigh. Friday we had engagement photos....SO FUN! Thanks Rebecca for everything! Then Saturday we went to Jeff and Jen's wedding and met with Chad. Sunday church and Charlotte for my brother's birthday and then back to the grind. What'er that may be. It was a really great weekend and it always makes it hard for Adam to leave and us be apart again. Can't wait for the day we're in the same place, it'll be here soon enough :) Today I've been packing up my sister's room. She got accepted into Greensboro College and starts in a week or so. We are so excited for her! She is really motivated right now and I love it. Lots of new chapters starting this year, it sure has been a 'time to shine in 09'. I'm enjoying this season of life and looking forward to everything that's still to come, it's very exciting. Here's a few pictures from Phoenix. As soon as the girls email me theirs, I"ll post them up...

Waiting on the gals to send me the pictures from an awesome weekend in AZ with Kate and Ella :) Shae, Kristi, Taylor, and Kristen all flew in to enjoy a weekend of sight seeing, good food, and relaxation. It was wonderful to have them all together and just hang out with friends in Arizona. I can't thank them all enough for coming and for Katie hosting...she was a great host! Her new baby Brynn is coming soon too. I'm still reading through Luke, hitting up the spin class in the morning, reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and working on the premarital counseling stuff. This coming weekend is Jeff and Jen's wedding in Raleigh and Adam and I will be having our pictures taken by Rebecca! I'm so pumped! As soon as I get pictures I'll post them :) Happy August people!

What could be better than a tin roof, a front porch, and a gravel road? Add some sweet tea to it and it's delightful. Just thinking about the people in my life who have contributed to this part of me...(disclaimer, this post has lots of dot dot dots) You know how you have friends that you can stay on the phone with for hours at a time and talk about nothing, or sit on a swing and be silent and a million words are spoken without using words...how you can walk on the beach and not realize how far you've gone and when you stop you're miles away...those nights in college where you'd just lay on the bed talking forever about who knows what...that's what world I'm in at this moment. If only I could stay in it without the responsibilities of the the 'real' world coming in. I could talk myself out of it with thoughts about money, purpose in life, being responsible and a grown up, or I can sit here and reminisce about the good ole times. There's a reason I fe...

Last night at the beach we had a cookout at the park in N. Myrtle with the college students for the last night of the retreat. After we had eaten and I had sadly lost in ladder ball we went over to the outfield of the baseball field and played soccer. There were 8 of us so we played 3 on 3 with goalies. It was amazing! Everyone playing was athletic and some had never played before and some had played a little or a lot. They all played so hard and we played to 10! The game ended at 10 to 9, and we were all giving 100%. In the van on the way back Mary said "will we make the blog?" Haha! Of course!!! I also got a comment from one of the college students...he said "You're pretty good for a youth pastor's wife" LOL. Such fun times. So yesterday I ran/walked with Leigh in the morning and then worked my butt off playing soccer :) I think that counts for my workout for 2 days. Still reading in Luke and last night Adam taught about Luke 14 and the parable of going to...

We're at N. Myrtle all week. I didn't fill you in on why :) I'm here helping chaperone Adam's youth group from Abilene this week. The first part of the week we have the High School juniors and seniors and then Wednesday he'll go back and drop off the HS and pick up the college students. Last night we had a great devotional time and talked about the amount of influence christian students can have in their schools and community. One of the girls, when we were on the trip to the Braves game Saturday found out her friend drowned. She didn't know if he were a christian or not so that was a topic of conversation last night. It's so important to be an example so people will know you love Jesus :) After the devotion, four of us sat up and talked about not knowing if someone is a christian when they die. We discussed Lazarus and the rich man and the rich man wanted Abraham to let Lazarus go back and tell his brothers so that they won't have to come to the place o...

At the beach, North Myrtle and it's awesome. So, I took a walk on Saturday, rode in the car on Sunday, and ran this morning. The end. Food does not matter because it's been awful. I'm going to read Luke 13, 14 and 15 today, as I'm enjoying the sounds of the ocean. I'm not going to let this go! :)

Yesterday was Thursday and I went for a nice HOT walk/jog around the neighborhood at the place I'm staying in Augusta. I stay with Adam's friends Will and Leigh and they are super great hosts! Their pets Alf and Sky always greet me with a smile and wet kiss when I come in. Yesterday I read Luke 11 and today Luke 12. Luke is an interesting book to me because it jumps around so much from topic to topic. Jesus is talking about Beezelbub and then being light and then about not storing up treasures here...so I felt normal ADD when I was reading it. I'll have to get in some sort of a work out or walk later this afternoon, It was way too hot this morning and without the gym, I just couldn't make myself have a heat stroke. Did a little cleaning this morning at Adam's...I'm excited thinking about when we get to combine all our masses of junk and then I'm going to organize it all. Haha, who gets excited about that? Not sure what's on the agenda today...think I...

I have a confession, I didn't work out today. Call it my cheat day. I ate healthy, does that count? I did go to the pool with Kristi and got a tan, so technically I burned calories and swam for a few minutes. I also have to read Luke 10 before I go to bed...not quite there yet. Now, here comes the test. I'm out of town and in Georgia, then in Myrtle Beach...can I keep it up?

So it's 12:30am, so this is my blog for Tuesday :) Today I read Luke 9 and did the RPM class at the gym, aka Cycling. Let me just say, it was awesome! The instructor was awesome, motivating, and kept us going the whole time. I didn't wimp out once! My butt hurts...yeah tmi? It's just what happens when you sit on a bike for an hour. I also laid out today at the pool and got semi-sunburnt, but I'll live. That's all I've got for today!

Today I read in Luke 8 and did Yoga. Weird combo. (Disclaimer: I don't do all the weird meditating and religious parts. I'm just trying to get my stretch on.) I could feel my abs still kinda sore from the surgery, but hopefully the Yoga and similar classes will help stretch it out again. We also played boggy pong at the church tonight, so much fun! So technically I worked out twice :) There's alot of good stuff in Luke 8. I didn't realize that Mary Magdalene had seven demons come out of her. Random fact. I hope that I am one of the seeds that is planted in good soil like in verse 15, where it says "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop". I know there have been many times in my life where I've felt like rocky soil. I also think it's interesting when Jesus calms the storm, the disciples are surprised that he could do it. They even ask "who is this"...

After Adam asked me to marry him I came to the conclusion that I needed to implement some much lost, must needed discipline into my life to prepare for marriage and being a wife. I started reading through the new testament and that part has gone rather well. I'm at Luke 7 now because I read about a chapter a day and journal some. I never realized how easy it is if you set a goal for yourself that's not too far above what you can realistically reach. I also knew that I needed some sort of exercise plan in my life. That part is not going as well as I'd hoped. After two surgeries it is very difficult to get back in the rhythm of working out on a daily basis. What I'm going to do is blog each day about what I've read and what type of exercise I have completed. Today for example, I read Luke 7 and walk/jogged for about 40 minutes. (The plan was to run but I realized I'm way too out of shape for a 40 min run). This way I have accountability to my readers and might eve...

Sappy? Sure. I went to middle/high school camp with Team Church last week. It was tons of fun; lots of hiking, waterfalls, and time worshiping Jesus. When I came home on Friday Adam was at the church waiting on me to get back from dropping off the van I drove all week, with these flowers in hand. These flowers, and him there I have decided are the best part. Through all the wedding planning, talking, decisions and indecisiveness, lack of money, colors, foods, and allll that...the best part is at the end of the day I get a phone call and get to talk to him. Eventually, I'll actually get to see him at the end of the day! What a concept :) God's so good and I keep thinking how awesome he is to create marriage for us on earth. I'm so glad he thought of it. On the flower note, I have picked out flowers for the most part and it was fun. Rebecca is going to do our engagement photos in August. I can only imagine how awesome she is going to make them...such a great friend and so tal...

Planning a wedding is a very interesting thing. I have planned a lot of events throughout the years, but planning your own wedding takes the cake. Here's why: No idea: I decided years ago not to 'plan' my own wedding until I was engaged. I didn't imagine the dress, the cake, the venue, the lights, etc. I wanted to wait until I was engaged to venture down those processes in my mind, partly because I thought that would be better for my heart in not preparing for a potential wedding with whomever I was dating and I didn't want to get things in my head and then decide something different later. When I did get engaged, everyone expected me to already have things in mind of what I wanted, including my mom. So, I was actually starting from scratch. And, I had always said I would always take 9 to 12 months to plan one, ha. The dress: Having nothing in mind when I went dress shopping was interesting. The dress shops expect you to have 'some' idea. Well, ma'am I...

Braves vs Diamondbacks in Hotlanta, we had random annoying guy sitting behind us. Several attempts at elbow length shots led to a nice lady taking this one. Thanks nice lady. My first trip to the Varsity. I had a great tour guide! My soon to be brother in law, sister in law, and NIECE! It was her 1st Birthday party. This is her saying "What are you looking at?" Adam and Ava. She loves her uncle :) Me and Colin at a fundraiser for CF at McAllister's. Teran and I at her Bridal Luncheon at Cafe Luna in Raleigh. Some of the ladies at the Rehearsal dinner at Bogarts. Great fun! Shae, Jay and I at Teran's Wedding at TPC Wakefield. Amazing ladies, Ashley, Courtney and Paige at the wedding. The only pic I got of the bride and groom was of a funny face she'd hate me for if I posted. :) It's been a great start to summer! More coming soon...

Hey readers...on the blogs I follow and on my links, check out my cousin Amanda. She's spending this summer in Uganda. Her blog does a better job of explaining - so read it there :) Then she will spend the next year in Paris. Her school is Wellesly and they have a program in Paris too. Thought I'd pass along so you can keep her in your prayers and see how God's using her to help others.

Money is the devil. The end.

Shonica reminded me at Teran's wedding this past weekend that I never posted our photos from when we got engaged down at Sunset Beach May 1st. Enjoy :) This is me realizing Adam is there... The Christmas tree by the piling is because my mom always said you need to decorate one with someone before you get married so you can learn how patient they are with the lights! The chairs are because my grandparents always sit under the pier here...they will be married 65 years this November. I can't wait to sit under the pier with Adam when I'm 80. Haha. Will you marry me? You betcha I will. Love him. Hooray! We then went to Dockside to eat dinner with Sharlene. It was great as always. So...here's the photos folks. :) Stay tuned...

I'm not sure anyone reads my blog anymore, but in the hopes that...well, shoot, I just like writing. So readers or not, here I go. :) As I wrote before, life has been a whirlwind here lately. But I am, in fact, the happiest I have ever been (post my pops heading to heaven anyway). I was driving tonight home from my mom's house after church and it was awesome. Fun country songs on the radio, the smell of a late summer-ish night with the windows down and the warm air coming in from the cornfields and singing at the top of my lungs, some really cool clouds, it was blissful. I was thinking about how excited I am about this time in my life. It's an adventure. I'm SO excited to be marrying Adam. I have no clue what my next career is going to be, and I'm planning a wedding in less than five months. An Adventure I tell you! But what a great one to be on. I feel so blessed right now. I am, in fact, still the most indecisive person I know...at least when it comes to wedding g...

Fridays used to have a different meaning. They meant more traffic but a great weekend ahead. Specifically this time of year, people heading off to the lake or the beach or the pool. Tomorrow my Friday is less eventful than a day at work and making sure I get all my work done by 5 so I can leave, or even leaving early. Tomorrow I just have a check up for my appendectomy last weekend. Which, I might add, is nothing compared to what some people go through. I was just reading on Brian Keeter's recovery. He is on a blog I'm following. He was a basketball player at N.C. State while I was cheering and also my roommate at that time's boyfriend. We saw a lot of Brian, and he was in a car accident and is now fighting through being paralyzed and other things I'm not knowledgeable enough about to speak of. However, his attitude from the posts of his family members is extraordinary and he continues to push on. I've had two small surgeries in comparison and will be back to mysel...

Jesus heals my soul through music some days...

What a whirlwind of a year so far. Recap: Jan-Feb - spent traveling to competitions and preparing for Cheersport Nationals. Worked alot. March - Unemployed on Friday the 13th, thank you cliche. Find out I have weird cells on my cervix, schedule surgery. April - Can't really remember, what did I do? May 1 - Get engaged, go into wedding planning stealth mode May 8 - Have surgery on my cervix, recovered mostly May 22 - Driving home from the beach, stomach pains land me in the ER, you have a bladder infection and wait for it...appendicitis. Schedule surgery at 11am. May 26 - Somewhere near a nervous breakdown. But not really. Life's just funny, And I can't seem to figure it out.

I'm gonna marry this man, and I think he even knows what he's getting himself into! :) God is so good!

This past weekend I was in Hilton Head, SC for my good friend Teran's bachelorette weekend. It was an adventurous, fun filled weekend with lots of sun, sand, laughs and nature. I was amazed by God's beauty all around me. We went for runs, walked on the beach looking for sand dollars and other creatures, and went on bike rides. We also went out to dinner, listened to live music and sang some ridiculous karaoke. All in all, a marvelous time! This picture is from Harbour Town in Sea Pines Resort where Ashley works. We went there the last night for dinner. This sailboat was making its way into the marina. We found two starfish on day 1, then on day 2 we went on a starfish hunt and found this one, we were so excited! This is the first whole, not living sand dollar I've ever found. I'd feel guilty taking a live one :) This was also at Harbour Town. This pelican was sitting on the dock. The sky was so beautiful. I could watch sunsets at the beach every day and still be in awe...