recent happenings

a lot has happened in the last week! as previously mentioned, Taylor moved to LA this past Tuesday. it was an emotional airport visit to say the very least, but it was comforting to see how excited he was and how anxious he was to leave and get this chapter of his life started. we are all so excited for him and so incredibly proud.

isabella, mom, me, taylor, and marc

me, daddy, and bubba

momma and her babies :)

the sun was too bright outside ;)

best friends and siblings. i miss him.

a really exciting thing that happened just this weekend was the wedding of my big sister, Lindsay! she was a stunning bride and I was so happy to get to witness her marrying her best friend and love of her life. such a sweet day!

me and the beautiful bride!

one of my good friends and also a groomsmen, Rob!

my date and one of my very best friends in the whole world, Joe

sweet linds and her daddy

mr. and mrs. paul stippich!

'tis the season for weddings :) I'm excited for some others to come this summer. I've got a few more exciting things coming up in the next few weeks and I'm excited to share those with you when they come.

hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

red-faced

a couple of years ago, I completed a journal called "loving well" by beth moore. here's an exerpt from it that I just LOVED.

Do you realize that I came to meet with you?
Do you have any idea how much I love you?
How taken I am with you?
Do you know that I have never forsaken you nor will I ever reject you?
I was there all along. I always will be.
Do you realize I knew everything about you the day you were conceived?
I anticipated your life and planned for it.
You do have an enemy, My Child. But it is not Me. He wants you to think it is. I am for you. Do you think you need to prove yourself lovable to Me?
Deep down inside, are you trying to earn My love and attention?
As you strive to love Me more, do you realize the key to loving Me more is to let Me love you more?
Why are you resisting Me? Why are you running from Me?
To whom have you compared Me, and with whom have you confused Me?
I'm not like them. I know what's happened.
I know what's on your mind. I alone know the plan for how this turns out well.
I alone know how to prosper you through this.
My eyes and My affections are on you right now.
Quit trying to be so strong. Let Me be strong for you.
I love you unashamedly.
Even now My banner flies over you.
Everyone in the heavenlies knows how I feel about you.
I'd leave you red-faced over My love for you.....if you'd only let me.


what an encouragement to know how immeasurably loved we are by the Creator of the universe. that He calls us lovely. that He admires and fights for our hearts. that we are insignificant without Him. He knows what my heart desires even if I don't. the Lord is taken with us. does that pull on anyone else's heartstrings? that He would leave us red-faced over His love for us... all the angels know how He feels about me. and you. amazing.

bubba.

the name i have called my sweet little brother Taylor since he entered the world 23 months after I did. he is my kind hearted, free spirited, brave baby brother. taylor is soon to be 20 years old and soon to be embarking on one of the biggest adventures of his life... on Tuesday he'll be moving to LA to start at the Los Angeles Recording School. he'll be majoring in music production. I am so thrilled for the opportunities that are coming his way and that he is following his heart all the wa across the country, even if it means leaving me here without him.

not only is he my brother. he is my friend. one of my dearest friends. he is honest. he works hard. and he follows his heart, regardless of money, doubts, or opinions. i admire him. he knows the good me and he knows the bad me... and he loves me. when he first started speaking, he called me, "sissy." over time, it's evolved into just "sis" and I have called him "bub" for the last few years... but as a result, both of my sisters call us "sissy" and "bubby." we are close. we love each other and we can annoy the crap out of each other. but in the end, I have never been prouder to call Taylor my "bub."

i love you, my sweet sweet little brother. i will miss you. but i am proud to be your sister. no one makes me laugh like you do!

one year at thanksgiving

Taylor and I at our Christmas dinner in 2008

taylor, me, and one of our sisters, madeline

probably my favorite picture of us :)

bahhh i was crying like a baby. this was his high school graduation in 2008

I wish I had some older, more embarassing photos :) but I only have pictures on my computer from the last 2 years.

be blessed. and keep bub in your prayers for safe travel.

summertime... almost.

may mester has started and I'm still working 40 hours a week and running on very little sleep. but I feel very full these days. I am so blessed to have such a fantastic support system of friends and family around me all the time. Work, even though it's extremely long and exhausting shifts, isn't as much of a "job" anymore as it is fun. My work friends have become like my family and I am so thankful to have them.

I finished out my semester with a 3.43 GPA. (Originally I thought it was a 3.54, what a let down!) but I was still pleased with that. Maymester is kicking my butt already and we're only on day 3! I'll be especially excited when it's over and then I'll have my days off during the week. I'll be even more grateful when school is over for good in December :)

sooo... it's wedding season. all my mail recently has been wedding invitations and shower invitations. I LOVE this time of year. We've got some bachelorette parties coming up that I'm super excited about. My big sister, Lindsay, is getting married on May 29! I'm thrilled! one of my best guy friends, Joe, is honoring me by being my date to the wedding. it should be a very fun day celebrating Lindsay and Paul. Roomie and Mitchell's wedding is in July as well as one of my friends that I grew up with, Jordane and her fiancee' Brandon. I'm excited for all of the fun celebrations and parties that are to come with all these weddings and thankful that I get to be a part of them.

this summer has much potential. I'm saving money for some exciting things that I'll be writing about in the next few months that will let everyone know what I'm doing post-graduation in December. it's VERY exciting and as soon as things are more set in stone... I'll be telling you ALL about it. and I absolutely cannot wait to share. all I can say is that I'm amazed at the Lord's provision over my life and I'm trying to be obedient. stay tuned.

my last 4 years...

so reality has a harsh way of hitting me in the face sometimes. This coming Saturday is supposed to be the day that I leave the college realm and enter into what I refer to as "the big girl world." I'm supposed to get my big girl job, pay my big girl bills, live on my own in a big girl apartment, and well... the reality of it all is that I'm not.

I just finished my 4th year of college. I've been thinking a lot about who I've been, who I am, and who I'm becoming lately. Looking back to my freshman year of college, I'm astounded at the changes that have happened, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. so, december 2010, I am more than looking forward to you and to see what changes this following semester will bring.

freshman year I arrived at KSU with a heart full of expectations. I knew hardly anyone and I was ready for whatever the Lord was going to throw at me. I was a new "believer" as you could say... my faith was at it's peak and I was determined to get as involved as I could with an incredible group of girls and with a church. Well... I couldn't have been more wrong. I HATED KSU. Hated it. I could not find my niche. I couldn't find my girl friends. my freshman year was a hard year. I experienced my first heart break, had no true friends, and really questioned where I was. Towards the end of my freshman year, I met the people that would become my forever best friends and I got involved in the student ministry at FBCW... but that was in poor timing because I had decided to transfer to Samford University the following year. my freshman year, I learned about trusting and depending the Lord.

holly and myself + my 2 roomies freshman year, kait and hooper!

forever my heart: bottom: me, mary catherine, holly. top: krissy and meredith

after a perfect summer, the fall semester came. my sophomore year, I arrived at my favorite place in the world... the gorgeous campus of Samford University in Birmingham, AL. I was full of anticipation and could not wait to go through sorority recruitment, get involved, and meet a nice, fratty guy that would meet all of my high standards :) my sweet friends helped me move into my extra small dorm room and left me there. I was SO sad when they left. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. I didn't eat a lot for my first couple weeks... I just felt in the wrong place. but that was Satan. I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Recruitment started and thus began my journey of developing FANTASTIC girl friends. I joined Zeta Tau Alpha. remember the post about my "roomie?" Well... she was the first person I met. she had a lot to do with my decision and later on became my roommate and one of my best friends. I partied a lot my sophomore year. I made careless decisions and "lived it up"... neglecting school work and the guidelines I had set for my life. I questioned God. I wasn't sure if I believed in Him anymore. I became cynical. I had always been very open and vulnerable about my struggles because I had friends who had accepted and loved me regardless. Samford was different. People didn't like knowing you had issues. Christianity, to a lot of people, was a set of rules... rules of morality and if they didn't like what you were doing, some would shut you out. I had a hard time with this. I wanted to deeply know people and have intimate friendships, and it was very rare. I felt shut out and secluded sometimes. However, I did find my niche at Samford and I finally found my way back to the Lord after much searching. I loved it. I was comfortable, I was involved, and I was secure. and of course, that's when the Lord tugs at my heart strings. I came home for the summer and was a camp counselor (for the 2nd year for fbcw). After much battle with the Lord, I decided that my ministry was here, my home was here, and I wanted to come home from Samford. my parents didn't complain because it saved them 30k :) I was sad about it, but confident that the Lord wanted me here. my sophomore year, I learned how to listen and wait on the Lord.

my best friends from samford:
rachel, lindsay, callie, alyssa, lauren, laura, me, and roomie.

my big sister, lindsay, and i on big/little reveal night! we ADORE each other.

so... Junior year approaches at Georgia State. I get all my transcripts sent in and realized I lost 27 hours from Samford, which put me a full year behind. what. a. bummer. I started over on life. I knew no one at GSU. So I affiliated with their chapter of Zeta. Got involved and later became their VP II: New Member Educator. I threw myself into school and into my sorority and got super anxious and depressed for a few months. I felt so alone and so tired of routine and I missed my friends (some from Samford and some who lived in Kennesaw that I didn't see much). I became very insecure with myself. I was anxious and I was stressed and I was not me. But, why? I had a good life. I've always had a good life. I cried a lot. BUT... as surely as the sun rises... the Lord was faithful again. People, I am proof that God comes through on His promises. He sent me the most incredible people to fill my life. My old friends were now becoming a part of the new group of friends I had made. God used my friends to show me proof of Himself. He used the church I became a part of to show me a sense of community. My junior year I learned about letting go of the past and welcoming the present.

sweet zeta sisters: me, my little sister mel, stephanie, and bonnie. love them.

my spring 09 girls. my first new member class :) plus me down in the front in yellow.

my precious roommate, claire and myself.

and now my senior year. Talk about a surreal moment when you realize it's your last year of school. classes become a little harder to go to, schoolwork becomes a little less important, and you become less involved in greek life and other activities. jobs and graduation weigh heavy on your mind and what was once an exciting time, becomes quite the worry with the economy the way that it is. first semester came and went. I have spent more time with friends and family and less time on school in the past year. you know what? I made the best grades this year than I have in all of college. my priorities shifted. school is absolutely important, but people, the Lord, and myself became so much more important. rest became important. no more all nighters and late night study sessions. I became an adult this year. I have experienced so many things in the last 12 months that I am slightly nervous at what else will come. I've had my heart broken, I've had family members die, I've questioned things I've always thought to be true, I've had anxiety attacks galore, and I've done really stupid, stupid things to myself and to others. But I became a woman. I found myself. my senior year, I learned to love better. I learned to love myself, my friends, my family, and my Jesus. I grew up.

my roommate, claire, and i on bid night 2009.

sweet sisters at fall recruitment 2009.

my best friend, christian, and i at chicago/earth wind and fire!

sweet carly and I at sweetwater brewery!
sorority sisters at ABC: claire, stephanie, lexie, sarah, and me.
my boys. joe and paul. they're my heart! (+Jake)

claire, me, alex, and lark in cancun for spring break!

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I have become more like Jesus in my last 4 years. a little more and perhaps a little less in some areas. I am more forgiving, more trusting, more loving, more gracious. I am more relational, less confrontational. My desires have changed.

I am so thankful for college. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be educated and to get to choose the career path that I want. I'm thankful for the funding to go to college. I'm thankful for the privilege to learn. I'm thankful for the teachers who take their time to teach us and for my classmates, friends, and sorority sisters who have made these last four years the most unforgettable years of my life. I'm thankful for my parents and grandparents who have financially and emotionally supported my education and my changing of schools :)

I have failed and triumphed. Cried and laughed. Sought after and found. Loved and lost. and life has changed DRASTICALLY for me in the last few years. overall, I'm proud of everything I've been through and came out of on the better side.

while I have been all over the place... I have always been exactly where I was supposed to be. the Lord created me with a gypsy spirit and I doubt that's going to change with age. at least I hope it doesn't.

congratulations to all my graduating friends! I'm so proud of you. Thank you for being on this journey with me. it's been a great four years. I love you all.