Mind Ramblings...

I have lots of random thoughts. Often. So today's post is a glimpse into my mind and the ramblings that hang out in there. Enjoy.

• I love going to the library. I like roaming around and judging books by their covers. And I like free movies and free music.
  
• I have 2 locations here in town where I feel like I can sit quietly (or on the phone with a best friend) where I feel almost entirely at peace and calm. I'm tempted to list them, but I'd like to keep them my little secret.
• I have a horrible time remembering names that go with faces. I met a girl on Friday at work and talked with her for over an hour in my office about a job opening in our department that she's interested in. She stopped by my office again today just to say hi and for a good 30 seconds I had absolutely no idea who she was.
  
• I've been having incredible weird dreams lately. Including: being rescued from vampires by a cute guy from the gym, having a tarantula chase me around and being scared out of my mind, being trapped on Shutter Island (like the movie), being in the musical Grease at my high school but refusing to go to any practices, prophesying the end of the world which included me singing the Beatles "Imagine" at a high school talent show. See, weird.
• Either this summer in Florida is not as bad as the past 3 or I'm just getting used to them.
  
• My car said it was 90 degrees outside tonight when I was driving home and I remember thinking to myself "yay! the weather is cooling down!" uh what? Since when is 90 degrees cool? I suppose I was just thankful it wasn't 100 degrees.
• I've discovered how I like coffee. And I've discovered I actually like it quiet a bit. I like it Ethiopian style -- with lots of milk (not creamer...and skim milk at that) and just a tad bit of sugar/sweetener.

Wow, I'm drawing a blank on everything else. I mean, my mind literally races a 100 miles a minute all day long with random thoughts, longings of my heart, questions, wonders, dreams, etc. But right now all I can think of is that I'm ready to lay my head down and go to sleep. So I'm going to indulge in that now.

Also, please remember to vote for Cure JM on the Pepsi Refresh grants. Check out my post a couple down to learn more. Or just click on over and vote because that'd be the awesomest thing you could do. http://www.refresheverything.com/makejmamemory

Nashville!!!

I'm leaving in 7 hours to go see one of my bestest friends!! I couldn't be more excited!!!

Be prepared for entertaining stories!

Oh yeah, have I mentioned we met in Africa? No big deal :)

Birthday, birthday, birthday

Quarter of a century. Yep, I'm getting old. And yes, I decided today was my day to return to the blogging world. I know internet, you've missed me. My twitter updates just aren't enough to satisfy your curiousity. Completely understandable. I lead an exciting life...every single minute. I mean, in all honesty, I should probably give you a daily play by play because my life is THAT exciting. But, dear internet, I've always been told that you've got to leave a little to the imagination. So, sorry, no play by play. But don't you worry, I'll let you in on the big, exciting happenings.

In any case, you've missed big, exciting happenings in my life for the past 3 1/2 or 4 months. Tragic, really. See here's the thing. I felt bad that I hadn't given a thorough update about my time spent in Africa (and I feel even worse that I haven't given that update to the people who supported me), so I felt guilty writing about anything else in my life when you didn't yet know about Africa. But I've come to terms with things...the Africa letter is still being written (slow and steady wins the race, right? I'm looking at this letter from a turtle's point of view thankyouverymuch), but in the meantime, life has gone on. And I need documentation of this life of mine so that someday when I'm rich and famous (hey, it could happen!! I just have to get really good at something...suggestions???) someone can write a biography about my life and use this here blog as a reference. It's a brilliant idea. Really and truly.

So...where to start, where to start. Shall I give you a snapshot of the past 3 1/2 - 4 months? Okay here goes (I feel like if I were saying this out loud, I should have to do it all in 60 seconds or less...so when you read this, read it really fast so you get that effect!).

-Spent a weekend in Pittsburgh and saw my awesome friend Jana, her husband Ryan and their adorable little boy
-Flew to Texas...twice (first time ever to Texas!)
-Went to the rodeo for the first (YAY FOR MUTTON BUSTERS!)
-Went Texas Two-Steppin' for the first time (kinda loved it)
-Saw my best friend from Ohio for the first time since Labor Day
-Spent my birthday with the world's cutest, most adorable nieces
-Spent a week with my parents when they visited in March
-Had a successful garage sale (hey, this was exciting for me!)
-Was a model in a photoshoot for work (just waiting on the modeling agencies to call...ha!)
-Worked an event at the sports complex where I got to see a bunch of NFL players, Olympic athletes, etc.
-Went kayaking (it's kinda one of my favorite things to do here in Florida...no lie)
-Watched a few cheerleading competitions (not gonna lie...it was eerily similar to "Bring It On")

Okay, I think that covers quite a bit. So you basically get the idea. And oh yeah...I worked a bunch because that's what I do. And I'm pretty good at it (even in all my modesty).

Sooo now that you're caught up (don't you feel better? Like more complete? I thought so), let's talk about birthday. I'm not even gonna fib and pretend that it was exactly how I expected it would be...in fact, it was quite a bit different. But, I had some really refreshing, wonderful moments today. This morning I opened my door to find that my friend Ryan (who I shall now refer to as the Birthday Fairy), had left a gift for me on my porch. I got an awesome Buckeyes tank and a Gator toothbrush (yes, 2 team paraphernalia that should not be intermixed...shame shame). I got to spend the day with my beautiful and funny nieces who I don't get to see nearly enough. While I was sitting outside one of the rides waiting for my family, a lady next to me started up a conversation with me and was honestly one of the nicest ladies I've ever met. She was so sweet and so talkative and when I got up to leave wished me all the best. Got a bunch of great bday wishes from friends and family. And finally, my roommate joined us this evening and spent the rest of the night at Epcot with us and now I'm getting ready to watch SNL (which I haven't watched in far too long) with some friends (what's better than ending the day with laughter?!?).

So there you have it. Caught up. It's almost like I never left!! I make no promises, internet, that I won't leave you again for an extended vacation, but I'll bring my A-game and try to commit to you.

Oh, and the best birthday gift I got? Probably the saweeet farmers tan and sunburned lips. It's hott (and hot).

Saturday Night Live time. Bye friends.

Roommate Bonding

Roommate bonding time. It's true. We find entertainment in the most ridiculous things.

Divas.


Thinking. Fawn has found a solution.


Silliness. It's what we're about.


Don't mess with Fawn the Princess. I'm her bodyguard. I look tough, don't I? Oh yeah, Westside represent. Hahahaha.


Utter ridiculousness. Can you see all of my teeth?

Accustomed Sounds

So just a quick random thought. I grew up in the middle of cornfields. Crickets chirping in the summer time was customary. I went to college in a large city right around the corner from an international airport. Airplanes flying overhead quickly become customary and in many ways, comforting. Now, living in Florida, I live about 7-10 miles (if that) from some major theme parks. Hearing fireworks going off every evening has become customary. What will be the noise that I will become accustomed to in my next place of residence some day?

The Run Down

I realized that I haven't posted in a while. Well, like normal, life is crazy and hectic and absolutely beautiful right now. So, as not to disappoint my readers (Yep Mom, this is for you), here's the run down. (Isn't a peek inside my life almost as entertaining as going to the movies? I should charge ya'll 10 dollars just to read my blog. Extra if you want some popcorn.) :)

My Crazy Busy Week:

• Sunday consisted of quality worship time and a sermon that has had me thinking all week. Also had some really great lunch conversation and then got to hang out with Ryan and have some quality friend time Sunday night.

• Monday I got some good roommate time as it seems like Fawn and I rarely see each other any more. I mentioned to her on Monday night that it seems that we see each other less now that we live together than when we were just neighbors. I also got to go for a nice bike ride and then a run while Lainee biked next to me. It was just a good evening spent hanging out around Celebration.

• Tuesday we got to tour Bay Lake Tower for work and it was really nice. It's also always fun to get out of the office for a few hours and experience some of that Disney magic! Tuesday night was super cool. We had a Mother Blessing for 2 of the women at our church that are going to have their babies in the next few weeks. We all brought a bead that reminded us of the Mothers and then gave it to them and had a good time of prayer for them.

• Wednesday night I got to hang out with Dan and go to dinner and Epcot (Epcot in the evening is probably my favorite thing at WDW) and then Jellyrolls. Even with the rain it was a really great evening. I relish an evening spent with good company, good conversation, and lots of laugh.

• Tonight (aka Thursday) Matt and John cooked dinner for Fawn and I. Fawn and I had cooked them dinner a few weeks ago and they promised to return the favor. It was a nice little trade off. It's great to share a meal with friends. Our friend Steve was also there and we've decided that he and his fiance are responsible for the next dinner. I could get used to this regular dinner and fellowship with friends. And, we also played a bit of Guitar Hero World Tour and let's just say that I believe I have a hidden talent for the drums. Good stuff. Oh, and also during the day I got to have lunch with my friend Melissa. I feel like even though we work in the same building on the same projects, we never have time to talk and catch up so it was nice to get away for an hour and catch up on each other's lives. I appreciate her insight and advice and wish that I was able to spend more time with her.
  

Upcoming Excitement:

• Tomorrow night (aka Friday) is the Children's Ministry Banquet for the church. Love spending time with City Church folks so it should be a very enjoyable evening. Afterwards, I get to hang out with Ryan and Jessica!! Jessica just got back from an internship in Chile so I'm anxious to hear her stories. I'm sure they'll be good ones!

• Saturday, Ryan and Jessica and I get to hang out some more and hopefully find something fun to do. Ryan and I have tentatively decided we're going to De Leon Springs but we'll see if the weather and Jessica (if we can get her out of bed at a decent hour) cooperate. Saturday night I get to hang out with Dan again and see 500 Days of Summer. I've been wanting to see this movie since I saw previews for it when I went to see Sunshine Cleaners so I'm super excited. And, of course, I'm looking forward to some good times with good company once again :)
  

• Sunday I'm looking forward to worship again. Love City Church and the amazing people there. Have I mentioned that a time or two before? And Sunday night I'm going to a Gift Card Giver party that some people at church are hosting. Should be interesting.

• Next week--Looking forward to seeing my City Group again after we've taken a 2 week hiatus. And then Friday night I head home to Ohio for 9 days!! Praise Jesus! Looking forward to some quality time with family and friends. I haven't been home for this long since Christmas. And I haven't been home for this long when the weather is warm and beautiful since before I moved to Florida in 2006!! Oh Goodness!!
  

• Near future--I also get to head back to Ohio for Labor Day Weekend to enjoy some football festivities with the best friend. Who wouldn't look forward to that???

Life is so very good and I feel as though I'm starting to see that even in the times when I'm feeling down and frustrated. God's plan is so much better than my own and I'm so desperately longing to give up all control and allow Him to take over. I know that sometimes in my desperate desire for that I try to control giving up control (if that makes any sense!!) and so I'm trying to learn and listen to what He's calling me to do. It's certainly a never ending process but it's surely what makes life beautiful.

And there you have it, my friends. The run down of my life. Don't you feel better now that you know? :)

Happy Belated Independence Day

Let me begin with saying that a year ago my best friend Katie and I decided that it's silly for Independence Day to be called the 4th of July. So I've decided that it should always be referred to as Independence Day. I've also decided that Independence Day is Will Smith's favorite holiday (ba dum psh).

Anyway, with a 3 day weekend on my hands I knew that I had to find a fun adventure. Luckily, Ryan (my friend, ya'll, just friends) was thinking about heading to Niceville (near Destin, FL in the panhandle) to go home for the long weekend. I talked Ryan into letting me come along because I wanted to go fishing in the Gulf with his brother and dad and I basically just love his family and knew it'd be fun to hang out with them for the long weekend. Of course, it didn't take much convincing on my part because I make a 6 hour drive more fun so naturally Ryan would want me to tag along.

On Thursday afternoon we left Orlando at about 4:30. At about 4:35 I realized I had forgotten my sunglasses in my car that was parked in front of my house. Bum-mer. Two hours later, we arrived in Gainesville for a pit stop at Burrito Brothers (world's best burritos. No, seriously) and dessert at D'Lites (amazing delicious and healthy ice cream...and they have Gator sprinkles. Yum!). We were then back on the road for the final 4 hours. I would explain our hilarious car ride to you (my loyal readers...all 3 of you), but I'm pretty sure it's one of those experiences where you have to be there. Let's just say that in the 6 hour drive there was about 5 minutes of silence. The rest of the trip consisted of us singing aka wailing at the top of our lungs, impersonating people and then interviewing each other with our new personas, and me creating awesome dance moves and car aerobics. So. Funny.

We got to Niceville and pretty much just went to sleep because we were getting up bright and early on Friday morning to head out on the Gulf for some fishing. Mr. Walker, Jason, Ryan, and I headed out at about 5:00 a.m. I got to see the sun rise on the bay and it was GORGEOUS. We ended up catching 3 king mackerels. We would have had more, but the dolphins kept biting them off of our hooks. When I was trying to reel one in, I couldn't figure out why it was so incredibly hard (like I thought I was going to fall over the side of the boat into the water) until we finally got the fish up and it was just a head...a dolphin had been hanging on my line half the time eatting my fish. No wonder I couldn't reel in a 300 pound dolphin!!! Jason ended up reeling in a shark too...the stupid shark kept chasing off our fish too. Bummer. About an hour and a half into the boating adventure I started to get really really seasick. Yuck. The waves were really big so it was just tossing our boat around. After we finished fishing we headed into the bay and stopped at Crab Island which is this sand bar right in the middle of the bay where the water is about 2 feet deep. We got out and swam and it was so beautiful! We also saw a bunch of dolphin swimming around. It's amazing.

When we got back to shore, we headed over to the Walker grandparents house for breakfast. Delicious biscuits and gravy. We were back at Ryan's house by 10:30 and I had felt like I had already put in a full day! I found the energy to head out for a run along the bay and just take in the view. Finally I headed back to the Walker's house, showered and we all (The entire Walker family--Mr. & Mrs Walker, Ryan, Jason, Sean, and Allison and me) headed to Sandestin to go to Mitchell's Fish Market for lunch to celebrate Jason's 23rd birthday. I rode out with Allison and had fun catching up with her. Lunch was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing and the food was soooooo good. They brought out a free dessert since it was Jason's birthday and I swear it was the largest dessert EVER. And the Walker boys did a mighty fine job demolishing it too! The rest of the day was just spent running a few errands around Destin before heading back to the Walker residence to just hang out for the rest of the evening, enjoying some delicious chicken wings for dinner, and amazing Oreo Cake made by Mrs. Walker for Jason's birthday.

The plans for Saturday were to go fishing again but Jason and Ryan pooped out so I woke up around 7:30 and headed out for another run along the bay. It was much cooler at 8:00 compared to my run at 11:30 the previous day!! After I got back, Mrs. Walker, Ryan, Jason and I loaded up the truck to head to the beach for a picnic. We ended up staying for 4 hours and the day was beautiful. Ryan and Jason taught me how to body surf and Jason taught me how to surf (kinda). I at least got up on the board for a split second. We also played a nerve-wracking game of cornhole. When we finally realized that we were all getting toasty and red, we packed up and headed out. We drove through a bunch of small beach towns, one of which being Seaside, FL where The Truman Show was filmed. It's such a cute town. We stopped in Panama City at Pier Park before we all decided we were tired and ready to go home.

When we got home, Mr. Walker grilled the fish that we had caught the previous day and let me just say it was seriously some of the absolute best fish I had ever tasted. YUM! And it was exciting to know we had caught it!!! We just relaxed the rest of the evening (with bright red skin!), I played some Bananagrams with Mrs. Walker and Allison (I may be really competitive when it comes to this game!!), and then laughed a bunch with the two of them as we watched TV.

Sunday morning I went for one last walk along the bay before we headed to church. We enjoyed a bit more time hanging out and laughing at the Walker house before starting our journey back to The City Beautiful. The 6 hour drive back was equally as hilarious as Ryan and I played the Alaphabet billboard game. Ryan won by what I would call a fluke find of the word "Zoo." We then continued to make up random games the rest of the ride home and sing really loud at the top of our lungs to some stellar music (thanks to my mad DJing skills). And of course, we made a pit stop in Gainesville at D'Lites for more ice cream. (One is opening in Orlando soon and I am SO excited!!).

We got back to Orlando with just enough time for me to unpack and head to bed. The weekend was so relaxing and I am so blessed to have a good friend who is willing to share his family with me when mine is so far away. And I'm so blessed that the Walkers are incredibly welcoming and amazing people. I feel like I've known them forever and it's fun to have brothers that I've never had. I talked a little bit with Mrs. Walker about why God brought me to Orlando (as I feel as though I'm still figuring that out some days) and she said something along the lines of "Well if you had never come to Orlando then you would have never met Ryan and then we would have never met you." and it just reminded me that maybe God just brought me to Orlando to meet amazing people who are constantly speaking into my life and teaching me what authentic faith and authentic relationships are. If that is the only reason I'm here, that is enough and I'm thankful.

Fourth of July Funness

3 more days until 4th of July excitement!! I'm going fishing for the very first time ever!! Even better, I'm going fishing in the Gulf with high hopes of catching some King Mackerel for a fish fry! My friend Ryan and I are road tripping up to his house in North Florida for the long weekend. His family has a fishing boat so we're getting up at the crack of dawn (I'd say literally, but actually it's probably earlier than the crack of dawn) to head out on the water for some fishing. Rumor has it that the fish have been biting lately so I'm super pumped. And if we catch all the fish we want, then we may even get to go looking for some dolphin to swim with. However, I'm also on a mission to catch a shark! How cool would that be? :) The only downer of the trip is that it takes 6 hours to get there!! At least we get to take a pit stop in Gainesville for some Burrito Brothers (seriously good food!). And yes, my iPod will be loaded with music and I will sing at the top of my longs and dance ridiculously until it drives Ryan crazy. It's okay, he's used to it. I'm like his second favorite sister (after his real one, of course).

Even better, this weekend kicks off my summer of fun! Next week Austina and her new husband David arrive in Orlando for a little vacation (much deserved for them!!!). Then, my family arrives next weekend. My parents are coming down for a long visit with my 2 favorite little girls in the whole wide world! They're staying for a whole week at my house and I'm so excited. Britony has informed me that she's sleeping in my bed while they're here and we can tell each other secrets all night if we want. I love slumber parties with my nieces!

Then, just a few short weeks later, I'll be headed to Ohio for 10 days to celebrate Meghan and Stephen's wedding. I'm looking forward to some more family time and also spending some time with my grandma.

And, then I'm back in Florida for a short stint before heading back to Ohio for Labor Day Weekend to kick off football season. GO BUCKEYES! I'll be in the Horseshoe for the season opener sporting my best Scarlet and Gray!

Ahhhh So. Stinkin. Excited.

I can tell the rest of this year is going to fly by. The Lord is so so very good and I can hardly wait to see what He has in store for me. Praise Jesus! :)

My Saturday Line Up

This is what is in store for me for Saturday and let's just say I'm SUPER PUMPED!!!
Photos courtesy of some Google Image Searching.

A little morning run:


Some beach time with friends:


Maybe some tennis time:




And going to see this movie (SO EXCITED!!):


http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/away_we_go/


I'm just gonna go ahead and say that it's bound to be a good day!

Jaded?

Dear Man at the Gym,

Today we had a conversation at the gym. I was minding my own business, listening to my ipod and lifting weights when you decided to interrupt my workout to give me what I'm sure you assume to be great business advice. Well listen here, sir. When you tell me that it really all comes down to money, I have to disagree with you. In fact, I have to tell you that it's people like you with selfish thoughts like this that have contributed to the downturn of society. People like you feel as though you're entitled to having everything you've ever desired and at any cost. Sir, today you proved to me that sometimes it doesn't matter how much education you have, if you don't have a heart, it doesn't matter. Maybe I'm jaded, but as a matter of fact I happen to think that it isn't about the money. I do believe that it's about finding your passion and your purpose and living fully in this purpose. Sir, I do believe that if I'm following God's will that He will provide for my every need. So, I'm sorry sir if I happen to disagree with you that it isn't about the money and I don't need to have my MBA to be successful. Really, I think all that really matters is loving Christ and loving his people. Maybe this is too simple of a term for you to understand but I promise you that this equation is proven effective. Then again, I'm trying my hardest not to measure my success and effectivness by the world's standards.

So sorry, sir, you haven't burst my bubble. I will continue to pursue God's will--even if it's not about making money. But thanks anyway for the advice.

Sincerely,
Me

PS-I found it pretty funny that you automatically assumed that I was a recent college graduate and you tried to tell me how marketing works. If only you knew how old I am, what I do for a living and that I've been working there for almost 3 years. Good try though.

My Felicity Addiction is Back...

I'm addicted to "Felicity" again. Gosh. Another good quote.

"I'm a firm believer in the power of change. But there is one thing I've learned. And that is the hardest part about moving forward is not looking back."

My Celebrity Sighting

It's not often that I have Celebrity Sightings...well, if ever. But tonight was a great night for celebrity sightings. I was hanging out in Downtown Orlando with a group of friends. We were at a bar/lounge in one of the hotels that plays jazz music on the weekends. As we walked through the bar area, our one friend said "That guy in the corner looks like Lebron James." So we walked back by again when some other people in the bar confirmed it. It was indeed Lebron. And later, some other Cavs players showed up as well. Too bad I'm not a huge Cleveland Cavs fan. Nevertheless, it was still a fun sighting.

You just never know what's going to happen in Orlando. Life's exciting, eh? :)

Blessed New Year

I pray you all have a fun and safe New Year's Eve. Here's to a brand new year full of adventures!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bedtime Story Blanket

This is a fantastic idea!! I wish you could really buy it because it would make for an amazing gift for a couple of my friends. A blanket that is a book too!!



Check it out:

http://tiagodafonseca.com/work/bedtime-stories/

Back in Florida

I need to be witty and insightful. It's been a while since I've had one of those good posts, but right now I'm just going to be completely honest. I don't want to be here. I want to be where my heart is...Ohio. Florida friends are amazing and fabulous, but no one can replace my family. I realized how much I love spending time with my nieces and my parents and my sisters and how much I really do enjoy having everyone around. I wish I were just a couple of hours drive from them rather than a couple of hours flight. Sigh...

In the end, I'm confident that God's will is at work and that He has a plan for my life which includes me being in this place at this time. Back to work tomorrow. Lots to get done.

And really, there's lots to look forward to in the coming months. Many road trips and adventures.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (I'll post more about my fantastic Ohio trip soon!).

Night Owl

I think I'm my most productive at night. It's 2:30 a.m. and I'm just now ready to go to bed (minus vacuuming I failed to accomplish). I leave right after work (well, early from work) tomorrow (I guess, technically, today) to head home to Ohio so I had so so sooooo much to accomplish tonight. Plus, I had Worship Team rehearsal at church which cut about 3 hours out of the middle of my evening (making me realize that if I hadn't gone to rehearsal I would be in bed at about 11:30 pm. sigh). Anyhow, tonight I finished laundry, folded it, packed (which for me, is an entirely too difficult task. Especially when I'm traveling from 80 degree weather to 25 degree weather. My running clothes alone take up about half of my suitcase. Plus, I had to pack all the Christmas gifts I bought for people back home, too. So I have 2 suitcases. That's right, 2. Packed to the brim. STUFFFED.

After packing, I finished my Christmas cards (I'm sure I missed half of you...I'm sorry. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!), recorded my receipts from the last 3 months (yeaaaah, just a bit behind), cleaned the kitchen/did dishes. Swept the kitchen. Annnnd now I'm ready to go to bed. I have to get up early to go for a short run, finish packing (toiletries that I couldn't pack tonight), stop at Walgreens to pick up a few last minute items, head into work, finish up a few last minute items and gather things to work on while in Ohio, give a presentation, stop at the bank to deposit some checks, stop at the post office to mail my Christmas cards, and finally HEAD TO THE AIRPORT!! I will be so relieved to check my bags and get through security. I'm anxious to be in Ohio and be with friends and family.

Alright, I'm sitting here procrastinating hoping I will think of any items I failed to take care of--oops, pay credit card. Yep, better go do that.

Safe travels for anyone traveling this weekend! And if you're one of my Ohio friends--I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!! :)

Nothing Insightful, Nothing Witty

Just me and my excitement surrounding my journey to O-HI-O in a few days!! The schedule is JAM-PACKED with friends and family and I absolutely CANNOT wait to see everyone.

Friday Juan is picking me up from the airport and I'm hanging out with him. Saturday I'm spending the day at the Koebel residence decorating cookies and hanging out. Saturday night I'm hanging out with Juan again. Sunday I get to see sooo many people as I head to Marci's house for a her open house (she's in town from Oregon so how convenient is it that she put together a party!!). I'll get to see Marci, Adam, Marissa, Ashley, and more!

Sunday night my sister is picking me up so we can head back to Defiance. I have to work on Monday, but Monday night I get to have dinner with Dan (haven't seen him in 3 years!!), Tuesday I'm having lunch with Chelsea and Wednesday lunch with Andre (haven't seen him in about 5 years!!). Thursday I'll obviously be with my family and my ultra adorable and hilarious nieces! And Saturday I get to see all my cousins and I can't wait!!

And of course, there's fitting time into see my Grandma and maybe even a few other friends.

It's going to be completely busy and insane but I love the opportunity to catch up with friends and family. I'm going to savor every minute of it!

Please pray for safe travels for me :)

Here's what's running through my head...

Here are some of the many things running through my head...it's a whirlwind, so buckle your seatbelt...

• Phil is going to be here tomorrow so we can hang out the entire weekend!!! I am SO STINKING EXCITED!!
• I get to wear jeans to work tomorrow! SCORE.
• I'm moving into an OFFICE tomorrow (out of my lovely cubicle). DOUBLE SCORE!
• Tomorrow is our office potluck and DVD exchange. I love the holidays!
• Erika cut my hair tonight and I LOVE it. And we watched some Duggar Family goodness in her home theater. So much fun!
• I ran 15 miles last night. I was supposed to do 20, but only made it through 15. Hey, I'm okay with it.
• I'm going to be home in 1 week!
  
• I absolutely cannot wait to see so many amazing people in Columbus. And then lots more in Northwest Ohio. Going home just never gets old. I love Ohio.
• I wish I could be more consistent about reading my Bible and having quiet time every day. I'm trying trying trying. And praying for God's help!
• Next week I'm going to the eye doctor and hopefully getting new glasses. I'm excited!!!
• Video chatting is one of the coolest things ever!
• I need to fill out my application to go to Africa this summer. I'm soooo excited about it. I just need to find some records of my last immunizations. Uh...where do I even attempt to look for those at?
• Jon McLaughlin is coming back to Orlando on January 25th. I'm stoked to go see him. Maybe it'll make up a little for having to miss Jason Mraz.
• I'm super excited about going to the Capital One Bowl with my dad on New Year's Day. I've never been to a bowl game so this'll be way fun!!!
• Work has been crazy busy but I'm seeing progress on projects I've been working on for a while so I'm excited!
• I'm anxious for our intern to start. I could definitely use the help, but I also have so much prep work to do before he gets here!

Life is insane and crazy and most days I love it. Still many things that I'm struggling through every day, but I know that God is carrying me through the hard times and molding me more and more every day.

Weekend Update

This is the weekend update courtesy of me.

Friday night Matt, Erika, Slack, Erika's brother, and I went to Northland Church to see Leeland, Sixpence None the Richer, Sara Groves, and Jars of Clay. It was such a great concert!! Mostly Christmas music and they did a lot of collaborative songs which I loooove!! Each band has so much talent and it definitely helped to put me in the Christmas spirit. Plus, it's always fun to hang out with friends!!

Yesterday morning I got up bright and early and headed downtown for the OUC 1/2 Marathon. I'll be honest, I wasn't super excited about running, but I had already signed up for it so I decided I wasn't going to put so much pressure on myself, but rather, just go out and have some fun. I ended up breaking my previous 1/2 marathon record by quite a bit!! I ran the 1/2 Marathon in under 2 hrs. 1:55 to be exact!! I was so excited and I felt soooo good running. I didn't feel like I was pushing myself really...I was just running and enjoying the run. Something I haven't done in a really long time.

After the 1/2 marathon I hurried over to Rachel's house for Christmas Brunch. It was so nice to catch up with Rachel and Rebekah and get to know some girls better that I've only met a few times. We also had a White Elephant Gift Exchange and it was pretty fantastically hilarious. I love White Elephant exchanges...probably more than real gifts. So funny.

After leaving Rachel's place I headed over to Megan's house to cheer the Gators to victory!!! What a stressful game the first half. But then the Gators pulled through and played strong after halftime. It was fun watching them win!! And it was great spending time with Megan and enjoying good food and fellowship!

And now it's Sunday morning. And yes I am certainly enjoying the Sabbath as I sit here on my couch in my pjs still at 11:00 a.m. I am exhausted and sick :( Yuck, having a sore throat is NOT fun!!! But I'm about ready to get motivated and get on with my day--I have to finish Christmas shopping today!! Ahhh so much to do!

I hope you are all enjoying the Christmas season :)

Deal of the Day

I must share my exciting deal.  Well, first, let me explain.  Today we were supposed to go to the beach.  But I woke up and it was pouring rain.  We looked at the forecast and it was isolated thunderstorms all day.  Not really beach weather.  So instead, we got Sushi (I heart sushi.  IT's pretty amazing stuff).  And then we went outlet shopping!!!  I didn't intend to buy anything but I have a weakness when it comes to outlets.  But this time, my weakness saved me money.  I've been meaning to go to Track Shack to get a new pair of running shoes (because it's about that time of year again), but lucky for me, there's a New Balance outlet.  We stopped in and they had my shoes!!!  Sooo my typically $90 shoes were marked down to $69 and then it was back to school time so I saved another $15 on my shoes.  Sooooo I saved $35 on my running shoes.  Chalk a win up for me!!!  So since I saved money on my shoes, I justified my $50 pair of jeans from Banana Republic.  Because they are cute.  And I like them.  And I have a grown up job so I can buy them, right? (Still trying to justify them...).

Liz and Andrea leave tomorrow.  I'm sad about it.  It's nice having friends in town.  On the bright side, I get to see my friend Rachel tomorrow!!  Excited!