Wow, I just can't believe it's Christmastime! I have been enjoying every bit of it, however. I've stayed busy with many Christmas parties (some mandatory, some not ;), shopping, TONS of coffee, and plenty of conversations had with friends while sitting in traffic. :) I had a small blip on the Christmas Spirit radar last week; I came down with a 48 hour stomach bug. Not fun. Other than that, I have completely enjoyed myself!

A week from today I will be in cute, quaint Gatlinburg! I can't wait! My family has decided to spend an early Christmas in a cabin, skiing Ober Gatlinburg. I know, NOT real skiing, but hey, we are from the south, this is as skiing as it gets for us! I'm looking forward to chilling by the fire, soaking up in the hot tub, skiing (and tubing) the slopes, and of course..SHOPPING! I love Gatlinburg. I love how quaint and country it is. Granted, I wouldn't buy something from every store; but I love it's ambiance! Some girlfriends and I spent New Years there last year, SO FUN! I'm excited to spend some much needed time with my younger brother and sister; sans their boyfriend/girlfriends. What can I say, I'm being a little selfish?? We'll head out on Christmas Eve, and I'm hoping to make it back to New Song Woodbine's Christmas Eve service; then on to my dad's in Kentucky for Christmas day. We decided instead of having Christmas dinner, we are going to have Christmas breakfast. I can't wait, SO YUMMY! My dad may be a handyman; but that doesn't limit him from the kitchen. He's just as handy in there as well. I'm hoping to catch up with some friends while I'm home; always so hard since I'm not there that often. Who knows, maybe they will read this and decide to come to Nashville! :D

Well, it's off to finish the Christmas shopping list (only a few more to go! ). Doesn't it just feel good when you purchase a gift for someone else? Makes me want to do it WAY more often. Merry Christmas!! Oh, and by the way, here's a throwback to the Student Intern Days. Enjoy this rendition of a "Cajun Christmas".

A few things that make me smile during the Holidays....

Getting a Christmas card in the mail (it's like being able to open a present early!)
The smell of a fresh Christmas Tree
Starbucks Holiday cups
Cinnamon
Fires in the fireplace
Shopping for others
Endless Christmas music
Endless Christmas movies
Finding the perfect gift, and the anticipation knowing that you have it until the moment they open it!
Seeing Christmas lights and trees while driving down the road
Hearing someone say Merry Christmas, because they say it way more than someone saying hello on a regular day.
Discovering out how other cultures celebrate Christmas
Wearing scarves, hats and gloves
Baking
Building a gingerbread house, and then eating it piece by piece :)
Seeing the presents pile up under the Christmas tree
The smell of "holiday" in the air. Everything is just magical :)
Road Trip CD mixes for the ride home to see family
Listening the the roar of laughter crammed in one room at my Grandmas

I know there more things, but I hope that reading this list brings a smile and memory to your mind.

Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas!

Even though I have stopped being a member of CrossFit, I still very much adhere to their prescribed workouts; with less intensity. Fran is one of the most popular Workouts of the Day (WOD's). The prescribed WOD for Fran is:
Reps-21-15-9 (FOR TIME)
95lb Thrusters
PullUps

It's a very intense work out, and has been completed in 2min 2seconds by Josh in California. CRAZY!! Anyway, here's a new and interesting spin on Fran from a CrossFit affiliate...

Yes, please! I'm always on the hunt for a bargain, (as are all of my friends, thank goodness) and it's like a triple score when I come across something for free. As a life-long fan of Dr. Pepper, and more recently, it's Diet counterpart, I was ecstatic to hear of this release:

"Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality. The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday. Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28."

Enter Dr. Pepper's site HERE.

Enjoy!

I wish I could say I found this amazing site first, but alas, I did not. A friend on Facebook posted this, and I had to share. If you appreciate art, then you will love this!

Take a look HERE.

Click here for Matt Chapels' Tennessee Titan Town....

My kinda Sunday afternoon football song :)

So Funny!

Thanks Jon...

I haven't had many words lately. Not sure why; if you sit me down face to face, I could talk all night! I've been needing to update this blog, and email dear friends out of town for weeks; and I just can't seem to sit and type out the words lately. Strange.
Well, I can't believe this weekend is already coming to a close! Friday night I babysat for the family I nanny for; which is always a pleasure. James (the toddler) is such a sweetie and an all around good little boy. Saturday I had an allergy medicine induced sleep-in! I wasn't feeling well before I went to bed, so I took my allergy meds...and slept until 11am! Woops! Not gonna lie, it felt pretty good. I met up with Julie for a quick hike around the Natchez Trace, SO beautiful this time of year! Great conversation, as always :). Ran home to meet Mark, who was putting together my shiny new TV cabinet (he did a fab job, and it looks great!); and get ready for the DRIVE IN!!! WOO HOO! This was my third time this year getting to go to the drive in movie with friends, and I'm hoping to be able to go at least one more time (although I may be staying IN the car this time...). A ton of people showed up, we loaded the cars with blankets, food, coffee and hot cocoa and were off. We piled on the ground and saw Madagascar 2 (hilarious, by the way) and Eagle Eye. Had a wonderful time with old friends, getting to know others, and meeting new people all at the same time!

The past few weeks have been eventful, the family I nanny for had their much anticipated little girl! Emerson Elizabeth Mulvey was brought into this world at 12:46am on October 23. She weigh 8.5oz and was 19.5in long. Such a sweet little girl! I've enjoyed watching her grow and changed in the few weeks she has been with us. For Halloween (which is also James' birthday), James was Peter Pan, and Emerson was TinkerBell! HOW CUTE!! They stole the show, that's for sure.
Let's see....I took a trip to KY to send off my younger brother to the Marines, and celebrate his birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years since he will be in Basic Training. We celebrated how we always do: a shooting contest. I love my family, can I just say that? All the boys got out their guns and ammo, and we headed out to the field to shoot. Went bowling, to the movies, etc. Had a great time all around .

Over the past month since I've last posted, I've enjoyed a few trips to Arrington Vineyard; seriously one of my new favorite places! We've gone to the Drive In Movies, regular movies, birthday parties, night on the Fort at Trish's....the list goes on. I do need to give full attention to probably one of the BEST things that happened to me this fall. Over the past two NFL seasons, I have become an avid Titans fan. Must be something about them being in the city that I love and live in! Of all the games this season, I wanted so badly to go to the Monday Night Colts/Titans game. I went two seasons ago when we stomped the Colts, and wanted to see it happen again. But, it wasn't looking likely at all. So, I settled for attending a party at Jon and Bethany's (which was looking to be supa fun!). Then, Saturday night, the miracle happened. Some friends of mine have season tickets and a box suite...AND THEY CALLED ME! They invited me to go to the game, which I very quickly said yes! I was so excited. Seriously, of ALL the games this season, THIS was THE ONE I wanted to attend. So, Monday night came, and we all layered and bundled up (it was freezing) and headed to the stadium. Not before of course having a pre-tailgate tailgate at the Williams! Kelly had quite the spread, and Jeff whipped up some fabulous pomegranate martinis. Soon enough we were off to the game, and the tailgate party. Unfortunately, we were stuck in traffic so long that we missed the tailgate. Lucky us we had the pre party already! When we walked in the stadium, it hit me just how good our seats were. 40 yd line, home side...close to the field, I was in football heaven! The game was great, close, and exciting. In the 3 quarter, Todd leans over to us and says: "Let's go up". I didn't know what he was talking about, until we were headed up to the Box. Yup, the box. We all agreed that free food, drinks and HEAT were great, but the outdoor seats were way more fun. There's just something about the yelling, screaming, cursing, beer smelling guys in the stands that make a football game great. So, I'm ever so thankful for the William's inviting me to go along, making my NFL dream come true; for this season :) .

Well, I've used way over my quota of typed words for the day, I hope you all have and will enjoy the fall weather while it lasts! Be sure to stop by Starbucks and try their Signature Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate-it's fabulous!

History

History was made last night. Democratic or Republican, Black or White, NoBama or McPalin....it's all over. Barack Obama is now our 44th President-Elect of the United States. I personally did not note for Obama; and do not agree with his opinions and standings. However, he is now in line to be our next President and I will support my country's leader. In my opinion, God knew this was going to happen, and I place my trust far more in Him than a leader. We elected a President, not a Saviour, as my pastor so frequently states.
In another perspective, it was so cool to see other ethnicities grab hold of this election; where in the past they may have felt they didn't have a voice, or it would not be heard. Seeing seas of African American people shouting for their country, USA; brought tears to my eyes and shivers down my spine. How cool to see our country truly uniting to elect a President (again, standings and opinions aside). I know for my short adult life, I haven't seen that happen to this extent.

It's time to unite, support and love one another. We all love this country so much; it's time to show it.

Do I Dare?


I do. This weekend I am planning on going home to Kentucky for a quick visit. I'm hoping, SO hoping to be able to go to Six Flags for their annual "Fright Fest". I don't think I have been to Ky Kingdom since I was in high school! In addition to the roller coasters, (Yes, the Hellavator is closed..) they have people in costumes lurking around, a haunted "forest" and numerous other fun fall frightening things. I can't wait!

JayMay

I'm absolutely loving this artist! She's so eclectic and funky, yet folk-sy at the same time. Her lyrics are somewhat random; but always sweet in a way-and she's definitely in love with Autumn. Who can blame her?
Folk-lover or not, you've got to give her a listen. Hope you enjoy!

I know some friends have already posted these new CD's on their blogs, but being a fan of both, I thought I would share the love. I have both of their previous cd's, and LOVED them. I'm excited to check out their new ones!






And coming soon in concert....(just a little over a week away...)

I guess blogging isn't one of my best things I do-I always forget to update!! So sorry....

The past few weeks have had their ups and downs (like any week), but two weekends ago was one of my favorites so far this fall. My dad came to spend the day with me (he lives in KY), and we decided to take his new Jeep Wrangler for a spin on the Natchez Trace. The weather was just starting to cool down, so we took the top down, grabbed some coffee (and Trish!!) and headed out to the country for a drive. We stopped in Leiper's Fork, seriously one of the cutest little towns around for some fun photos and a refill on the beverages; then headed out to cruise the Trace. After about an hour of fun filled driving and a quick hike up to the Lookout, we headed back to Downtown Franklin to have lunch at Puckett's.


After Dad headed back home to Kentucky, the girls and I met up to grab a fancy dinner of cheese and crackers before heading out to Arrington Vineyards for their weekly Music in the Vines. There we met up with Julie and Merari and got situated on the hillside for our evening picnic. the Jazz band was fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We laughed, talked, enjoyed the wine and music; all while watching an amazing sunset. Once dark, we could even see fireworks in the distance! Absolutely amazing.
.

The following day (Sunday) I enjoyed catching up with a friend at Fido's, one of the local (and one of my fave's) coffeeshops. After that I headed home to put in a quick walk with Trish, then we loaded up three different kinds of S'mores-and headed out to Travis's. We had the perfect bonfire, perfect weather, and the perfect debut of Ree'More's, (Reese smores), CarMore's (Carmello Smores), and your traditional Chocolate. My fave is the Ree'More's, THANKS TRISH! Travis and Scotty broke out the Acoustic and ukelele, and sang wonderful campfire songs (ok, some goofy Scotty songs too..). A perfect ending to a great weekend. OH, and the Titans went 4-0, first time in Franchise history! Even Better :)


This past weekend was much more low-key. Friday night we started our annual Movie Nights at New Song Woodbine, and it was a HIT! We showed the Bee Movie, and I convinced my friend Jon to wear a bee costume that I had rented. I'm not sure how much convincing it took, he is always up for a laugh. Saturday Trish and I headed over to Katie's home to paint her much needed living room. I will say, we did a fantastic job! I wish I had photos to post, I'll track them down and put the before and afters up-it's amazing! Saturday night...I honestly can't remember what I did Saturday night. I'm sure it involved hanging with the girls. :) Sunday was mellow, I wasn't feeling well and left church early to go to Trish's . Her house is SO warm and comfortable, the couch is addicting!! Trish made me lunch, and we just rested all afternoon. Caught a movie on TV, and watched the Titans game...they pulled it off AGAIN 5-0!! I just can't believe it. Sunday night we went to Katie's to see her final product (She still had to paint her built-in bookcase); and again, we were so satisfied with our painting jobs! Monday I had the day off and went for a hike at the Natchez Trace again (I just can't stay away! ), and enjoyed some much needed Julie time. After a quick stop in at Jocelyn's, I was headed home for the afternoon. I met up with Katie to do a brutal workout, then hit the sack. So all in all, I had a relaxing, but full weekend.

I'm looking forward to this weekend, I have community service to serve in KY for a speeding ticket I got this summer (I know, I know); and may try to make it home to see the fam and friends. I hope you are enjoying this wonderful fall weather as much as I am! Coffee and sweaters, here I come!

Check this out!!

Pastor Andrew talked about Geocaching in his sermon a few weeks ago, and it piqued my curiosity. I googled it and was completely in love! I enjoy discovering things, and this is basically scavenger hunts, on crack. You use coordinates to locate the cache, which is hidden in, under, and on things. Today Pastor Andrew called and invited Mindee and I to join his family in an afternoon of geocaching, and I was SUPER excited about it! At one point, we had PA scampering up a street light corner post, another time Jake (Andrew's son) was given a boost to scour the top of a sign. Both times we were "Skunked" (couldn't find it). The final cache Jocelyn found, the clue was "Under JBS". We looked and looked...it was near a cemetery so we thought it was near a headstone (morbid, I know). After we had given up, loaded the kiddos back in the car, Joc goes running off with the GPS one last time, and finds it! It was under a street sewer thing. Good lookin' Joc!
All that to say, I am now addicted, and can't wait to go next week! I am officially joining team Lambinator.....so if you see some crazy people searching for things in crazy areas....just smile and know we are searching for something not everyone is looking for. :)
I dare you to try it, it makes you think, thats for sure!

Hello, Fall.

I am so excited that fall-ish weather is on its way to Tennessee! It's time for football (praise the LORD), sweatshirts, bonfires, hayrides and more. I'm excited to plan a trip home to Kentucky soon, just to have the worlds' largest bonfire, built by my brothers. SO much fun!

Sorry I haven't updated the past few weeks! My weekends haven't been as action-packed as those previous...other than the my Labor Day trip to Florida; which was fantastic. I was able to stay with Karl and Lena Pugh, just a hop, skip and jump away from the beach. It was so wonderful to fall asleep with the waves crashing in my ears, wake up to fresh coffee (thanks KD) brewing, and a little 3 year old begging me to play. We relaxed on the beach, enjoyed great meals in great company! I also was able to catch up with Eric and Melissa Belcher who moved there not too long ago as well. Their kids, plus the Pugh's....we had a blast! I loved visiting my "family" in Florida.

As soon as I returned I jumped right back in to work, meetings, and then working some more! I injured my back about two weeks ago and was down for about 4 days...NOT so fun. It's SO much better now, thank goodness. I think I can handle a broken foot or knee surgery, but not being able to move due to pain? That was almost unbearable! I missed out on so many fun things that weekend, a friends concert, hanging out, etc. I was bummed, but in so much pain. This past weekend was no shortage of fun....was able to catch up with Preston and Katie and had a great time! We frequent this great little place in Franklin called Dan Mcguiness, it's a pub/restaurant that has fabulous outdoor seating (and great fish and chips too!). Sunday I chilled at Katie's house watching football almost the entire day! Can't say that I do that too often, but it was SO nice. I think I even snoozed there for a while, and missed the Colts pull off their win over Minnesota!

This week has been great so far! I was able to accomplish so many little things that have needed to be done at my house! Finally hanging some things up, cleaning the patio from the construction, re-sorting and organizing my storage unit (I know, I know). You can now open it, find what you need, and not worry about something falling on your head! It's things like knowing my storage unit is clean that enables me to sleep at night. :) Last night a group of us headed out to Exit/In to see Preston's band play, and they did really well! I haven't seen them perform any of their new stuff, so it was a really good show. Tonight we are off to pick up Katie's new couches that she got off Craigslist for an AMAZING deal! New Pottery Barn couch/love seat set for such a steal! She is so excited, and I'm not gonna lie, so am I. Many, many football games to be watched!!

I hope you are having a fabulous week and enjoying this fall weather as much as I am!


This weekend Trish, Jon, Bethany, Josh and I set out to conquer the Ocoee River in East TN. We chose to do the "Upper", which was the Olympic course in 1996 for rafting/kayaking. We had a fabulous time, and other than Josh popping out at the beginning, we had no losses on the trip down the river. We had a great guide, "Dobbs" who left us laughing and sometimes scared-he was super serious.

After the rapids, we headed to our campsite at Gee Creek. The guys (and Bethany) set up camp while Trish and I went back out on an adventure to find firewood. You would think that a place that has so many campsites; that they would also have firewood. NOT the case. We were lucky that our guide told us that he was selling some. So after tracking him down, we filled the back of my Rodeo up and headed back to camp. We grilled hot dogs, "Reemore's" (Smore's with Reeses, named by Trish), enjoyed some Phase 1o and just hanging by the fire. We were able to sleep in a bit despite the sprinkling rain, and packed up camp. We tried to toss the disc a bit, but the wind (or our lack of energy) wouldn't allow us to throw properly, so we called it a day. We grabbed some Sonic and headed to the site of the Olympic course to watch the rafter's go down the river. It's so funny to watch someone else do what you just did the day before-I hope I looked as good as they made it look!

I woke up that morning with severe allergies, and didn't pack my meds-so I had to dope up on Benadryl. Needless to say I was quite drowsy/loopy by the time we headed back home. I slept most of the trip home!! As soon as we got back to my place, we jumped in our own cars (we had taken mine) and headed straight for church. I could only stay for the first part since I was so loopy on Benadryl! I headed home as soon as I could, quickly unpacked and crawled into bed about 830. I slept straight until this morning!

So far, the last few weekends have been packed full with activities, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I'm sure my boss would love it if I didn't come to work every Monday with my hair in a ponytail and coffee in my hand.... :) This coming weekend is hopefully going to be my most favorite of the summer. Trish and I scored great flights to Florida; and we are able to stay with dear friends of mine, the Pugh's. The Belcher's also live in the same town, so I am so excited to spend some time with both of them-ON THE BEACH! :)

More updates to come, I'm sure-until then-as a friend of mine emailed me-have a splendid week!

I promise I have a life that doesn't include posting videos to my blog. :)

Claw Baby

Have been amazing lately. It feels like my life has been turned upside down these past few weeks! I briefly mentioned it a few weeks ago, but WOW-there are no words sometimes!

I have had the busiest summer, and I have loved every moment of it. I am so glad that I have been able to take many trips home to Kentucky, small trips with friends, camping, caving, flying, seeing baseball games, football games, going to the drive in, celebrating birthdays, the list goes on. I have missed plenty of hours of sleep, but have gained so many fun memories along the way, that it has been totally worth it!

I'm excited for this weekend of White Water Rafting and camping, then the next weekend soakin' up the sun in Florida with Trish! We are going to visit Karl and Lena Pugh, as well as Eric and Melissa Belcher. Can't wait! There may also be a NYC trip in the mix for September, I'll keep you posted.....

Tevas



Trish and I went shopping today. No, we didn't skip work, we shopped via the internet and chat. How ridiculous are we?? :) This was my bargain for the day...SO CUTE!

Healer

Such a touching story. I saw this on Trish's blog and thought I would share. Click on the video to the left.

I had to.

In honor of the graduating student interns, I thought I would share some past graduation videos that appeared at various graduations while I was a student intern. Unfortunately, these videos do no include all of the super sweet and funny photo slide shows, just the skits. Enjoy!

January 2006 Graduation
Graduates: Kyle, Lauren and JT


August 2006 Graduation
Graduates: ME!! Stoney, Sarah


This was for our Host Home Celebration...2003


Another Host Home Celebration...circa 2004?

A friend of mine recently "updated her status" on Facebook to read: "I've got a crush on clouds lately". It made me think about clouds, naturally. This is what I found. Pretty incredible.

10 Days...

Wow, this past week has been so powerful in my personal life, my world has pretty much been turned upside down! It's a very good upside down...no worries there. I'll give a brief update on my "stay-cation" last week before sharing about everything else that is going on.

Last Saturday I packed up the car and headed to Dale Hollow Lake to meet up with my brothers and sisters for a weekend at the cabin. We had a fantastic time jumping off the top of the boat, chatting by the fire, climbing rocks to jump off of, playing hours of Phase 10, etc. Oh, and did I mention that we NEVER stopped eating? We seriously ate constantly. It was insane how much food we all brought! My favorite part of the trip was the last morning, we are checking out of the cabin at the marina and it was SUCH a beautiful day...that we all decided to take the boat out for a few last hours of fishing (for the guys) and catching some sun for the girls.

Tuesday Katie and I took a last minute trip to Mammoth Cave, KY to go on the Wild Cave tour. I've actually done this tour before, but it is so much fun that I could go over and over and over! Our guide actually told us that there was a person who did the tour 101 times, and never went the same place twice. Talk about crazy! So, we did things that I didn't remember on the last tour, got a little freaked out by the tight squeezes, got completely soaked, and completely dirty. It was entirely too much fun! Luckily, someone brought there camera on the trip so we were able to have photos of the trip. Such a fun day! It's almost a week later and I am still sore on my legs from crawling. Did I mention it was 6 hours? Yeah. We're talkin' serious spelunking here. Or, as Katie would call it.."kerplunking".

more to come...

CrossFit

This is what I do, to an extent. This is was the CrossFit games 2008 in California. Obviously, they are competing for a much better time than I ever complete, but it's the same workouts essentially.

Eli Mattson

I found Eli Mattson online recently, a singer/songwriter who recently auditioned for America's Got Talent. He has a unique sound, and definitely made me want to follow his music career.

More details to come, but enjoy these photos until then!



Live Your Life

A few weeks ago I took a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit family. Due to a series of events, I had to fly in to Baltimore, MD and take the train into Union Station in D.C. I had never taken a train before, and I was doing it alone. I didn't know what to expect. In the end, everything was fine, but as I sat on the train (it was about a 40min ride), my mind began to roll. I was lost in deep thought, and I decided to write some of them down. Here's what I'll share:

As I sit on the train watching the trees pass by, I realize that my life is extraordinary. Not just ordinary, but EXTRAordinary. I was created for this. I was created to experience life; MY life that He has given me. Be it the simplicity of watching the diversity of people on my train, or meeting that sweet old couple who just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. That’s life.
How often do I get stuck in my own bubble, not realizing that I’m breathing recycled air? What will it take to get me outside that bubble? Some event, be it unexpected, to give me that life-giving rush of fresh air? Like stepping into the clean air in the mountains, it kind of burns when you breathe in. That’s the life I want to live. I love more than anything to experience something more than ordinary.
What is your outcome?
I know mine. I choose to live my life.








Yes, it's finally happened. On July 3, 2008, I received my very first speeding ticket. The ticket aside, I will say I entered into the world of offending the law with a bang; and NOT by choice.

So here's what happened. I was on my way to my mom's house in Kentucky for the 4th of July. I decided to buy my little brother some fireworks before crossing over into KY (we have better fireworks than KY)...and missed the exit. I turned around and headed south on 65, lost in thought about the awesome purchase I was getting ready to make; when I noticed a cop car. Immediately I looked down, saw that I was going roughly 70, which was the speed limit. In that split second it dawned on me that I was in a construction zone, and the limit was 55. How could I have NOT seen the sign? Sure enough, he flipped on his lights and came cruising after me. After he took my information, he informed me that I was going 74 in a 55. NINETEEN mph over the limit! I was so mad at myself for not remembering the 55mph sign.

So, the policeman takes my info back to his car, and I wait. And wait. And wait. Then I notice in my mirror that there is a lot of commotion behind me. I turn and look, and there are now two cop cars! AH! What the heck?! Soon enough one comes to one side of my car, and the other to my drivers side and ask me to step out of the car and join them in the back. I'm clueless at this point. What on earth is happening? He gives me my ticket then asks me the question of the day. "Do you have any narcotics in your car? May I search your car? Do you have any weapons?" At this point I want to laugh out loud. I'm dressed in a polka dotted skirt, red tank with sparkles in it, cute hair and accessories-I'm about the last person that would have any of the above mentioned things in their car! So there I am on the side of the interstate, two policemen surrounding me, searching my car, asking me scary questions. I feel mortified, and so thankful that this happened in KY and not anywhere remotely to where I lived. I would have died if someone I knew saw me!

The policeman that was standing by me at the back of the car got to asking me questions about myself (why make small talk when you have a GUN?) and asked what my degree was in. When I replied "Biblical Counseling, I went to a bible school"...he laughed. Not at me, at the situation and the grumpy cop searching my car. He then apologized and tried to get me out of my ticket! So sweet, even though I was well deserving of the ticket. As the other cop re-joined us at the back of the car, he seems satisfied finding nothing. That's when I tell him that I'm sure what he smelled (he mentioned that he smelled something in my car earlier) was my perfume; and he doesn't seem phased. He thanked me for my cooperation and left me with my $200 ticket.

Happy Fourth of July.

I didn't buy the fireworks.




I had the BEST day ever. Seriously. We had the best church service I have ever been in on Sunday morning, and I can't even begin to describe it. I felt like crying and laughing all at the same time! The Presence of the Lord fell in that place, and we were all moved. I highly encourage everyone to listen to the podcast. After church, The William's invited everyone over for lunch and to swim, so of course I took them up on that! So many people came, even a family that was visiting from Norway that I connected with. We played games, swam, watched our Pastor do flips off the diving board......

We even managed to watch the European Football (Soccer) Championship- Spain Won :)


Hope you had a great weekend!

WOW!

I've been so bad at posting lately-so sorry! The past few weekends have been a blur; a quick trip to Washington, D.C. for my brother's high school graduation, working over one weekend, etc. Busy as always.

I'm excited for next week to come! Next Thursday I'm headin' home to Kentucky to celebrate the 4th of July with my family and friends! I'm so excited. We're going to a rodeo, then watching the fireworks (and my sister sing!) in pure country form......ahh summer. My favorite season. The following weekend all of my siblings and I are headed out to Dale Hollow Lake for a fun weekend on the water. I can't wait!

CrossFit is still the hardest thing I have ever done! We are moving in to the new building next week, and we are all so excited. More room for full pull-up bars and my personal favorite (can you hear the sarcasm?), more rowing machines. I'm still improving greatly (as with the rest of us!), and getting stronger, better, faster. That's the point, right? :)

Well, I'm having a restful, somewhat uneventful weekend, and I'm not complaining! I went to the gym tonight, then grabbed a movie on my way home and am just chillin' tonight. Tomorrow I have a pool date with Julie (doing what we do best-getting tan!) tomorrow, and then that's it! It's so nice not having plans. I may make it out to Natchez Trace tomorrow evening if the weather holds off. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, whatever your plans may be!


I'm loving this band from Sweden, Blue Eyes Soul! They capture that eclectic Euro sound, with a mix of some funk and enough fun to keep you coming back for more. You can check out their myspace page (does anyone have a REAL website anymore?) by clicking on their name listed above for more info.
Check out their response to a anti-God movement in Europe....




Great Weekend!

I had a wonderful early Father's Day with my dad last week! I took a short trip beck to Kentucky to visit my dad, and spend time with my sister. Thursday evening we had dinner at Buckhead's on the River (a local favorite) and enjoyed Graeter's ice cream in the Highlands. My dad has a Jeep, so we cruised around town with the top down-loving every second of it!
Friday I visited CrossFit in Louisville (which kicked my butt), had dinner with my Grandma, pedicures with my sister, then a casual dinner with my dad before heading out for a late night with my friend Austin. Saturday dawned too early, so dad and I hit Starbucks before embarking on a morning of yard sale hunting. We ended up in Taylorsville, where we used to live back in the day. Oh, how it's changed! We had a great time.
I drove back Saturday afternoon and had dinner with Katie and Juston, and by then I was BEAT! Sunday was SUPER fun, some friends came over for a BBQ and to swim, we had a great time. Throughout the afternoon people were starting to head out, so a few of us went back to my place for ice cream and to chill. We ended up at Royal Thai for dinner....which leads me to why I am posting this today. I woke up this morning with a case of food poisoning!!! I've never had it before, and so far, it's not so fun.

But other than the effects of yesterday today, I had a fabulous weekend! What a way to kick off the summer!

Birthdays...

I usually try and recognize friends on their birthdays, but haven't done so for June.


Soo.....

Happy Birthday to:

Julie Carter, Scotty Faircloff and Melissa Kolarcik (June 5th)
Juston Reeder (June 6th)
Chris Maple (June 7th)

I know, I know, lots of birthday cards, but hey, friends are worth knowing they are loved and celebrated, right?

Grand Gestures

I'm sorry it's been a few weeks since I've last posted, but I've been pretty busy (as usual). Last weekend Trish and I took a trip to Atlanta to see the Braves play the Arizona Diamondbacks (The Braves lost); which was really fun. We stayed at a great hotel, ate at some great places, and even managed to run in to some really great friends from here in Franklin! We enjoyed IKEA and the Science museum IMAX, and of course, riding the MARTA (public transportation)!!



My work schedule has stayed pretty busy between nannying and the church. I sure am looking forward to some summer breaks! In just a few weeks I am heading to the Washington, D.C. area for my younger brother's high school graduation. They grow up so fast now a days! I'm also looking forward to camping with Katie, a white water rafting trip, lake-housing it with my family, and trips home to KY to see family and friends. I'm also hoping to make it back to ATL soon to visit the cousins down south.

I've been thinking lately about grand gestures. Everyone dreams of someone who will make the grand gesture of how much they mean to them, care about them, etc. You see it played out in movies; lavish affairs with flowers, etc. But what is a grand gesture to you? I recently had a "grand gesture" experience. It was on my birthday, and my mom wanted so badly to have me home for my birthday. Instead, she knew how much it would mean to me to come down to TN for my special day; that she brought my dad and step-dad with her. That gesture spoke VOLUMES to me, but to someone else it may have seemed small.

That day made me think about those things in my life. How can I show those in my life just how much I care? What gesture of appreciation that I know THEY will love receiving more than me giving it? Is it hours spent playing their favorite video game? Is it going somewhere you never would, but knowing they love it, and doing it anyway? In the end, it's all about serving that person, be it your spouse, significant other, or best friend; and putting their preferences before yours. How many times I have fought for what I wanted? How often have I thought only of myself, and not of those around me?

Everyone wants a grand gesture. Everyone wants to know they are worth more than the mundane things in life. It's up to us to show them they are.

Aiyiyi!!!

Ok, ok, I know I talk about CrossFit alot lately. How can I not, when it's pretty much what I'm living and breathing?? Some of these CrossFitters out there are pretty extreme, just click here for an example from a team in Florida. Or you can check out the "Firefighter Fran" video on the CrossFit website.  It's pretty intense what they do, and I'm just tipping the iceberg!!

Full....

Wow, it has been a full week! Full of life, work, friends, etc. Jon and Bethany's wedding was last weekend, along with Mother's Day; which I made a day trip to KY to see my mama! I had a great time with the family, catching up with my brother who was in Virginia for a few months, and planning our first ever "Siblings Vacation"! We are planning on going to Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky this summer and renting a cabin for a long weekend. I can't wait! 


Speaking of planning, Trish and I are headed to Atlanta this coming weekend to see the Atlanta Braves take on the Diamonbacks. Should be a great game! Both of us have had the itch to do something fun that weekend, but with flights so expensive, we couldn't find something worth doing. We opted for a baseball game + fireworks, IKEA and a IMAX showing of the Grand Canyon River at Risk, featuring music by Dave Matthews Band. I'm also hoping to get lunch with my lovely aunt and cousins, who just became parents!!

I had a wonderful weekend this weekend, starting with doing an overnight babysitting trip with the Lamb kids....which is always an adventure. In the 24 hours that I was with them, Wilson (who is two and completely crazy and adorable) managed to put a bead up his nose (which almost sent us to the hospital!), fall in to some serious thorn bushes, and then later bust his lip (blood was everywhere) playing Frisbee with his older brother, Jake. It was quite the adventure, for sure butI loved every second. After leaving the Lamb's ,  I headed straight for my date with CrossFit.  We had to do as many rounds in 30 minutes of:
10 45lb Thrusters
10 Walking Lunges
10 17.5lb Kettlebell Swings
4 Tractor Tire Flips
10 Box Jumps

I was able to complete 7 rounds of each in 30 minutes, beating everyone in the class. I am quite proud. :) After that torture, Katie and I headed down to Thompson's Station Park to watch the ultimate Frisbee tournament going on to raise money for Camp Courtney. It was a beautiful day, perfect for being outdoors! Church was amazing this morning, God is really moving within our congregation and city. I'm so glad to be here, right now! This afternoon I caught a matinee of Made of Honor (with Patrick Dempsey) with my girls, then had a wonderful dinner with two of my dear friends, Kyle and Scotty. It seems like I haven't caught up with them in forever, so we had a wondering time catching up. Those guys make me laugh!!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend as well! 


That's right, my good friend (and practically brother) Jon Melton, is getting married this evening to the lovely Bethany Hawkins. It's hard to believe that the day has finally come-and we are all SO excited! Last night we had a hilarious rehearsal dinner, sharing stories and memories and just laughing it up. I'm so excited for Jon and Bethany; I know their life together is going to model a marriage that is full of fun and adventure.


So, to Jon and Bethany! We love you!

Mac....


I finally did it. I went Mac. My Compaq laptop breathed it's last breath on Saturday, May 3rd. I couldn't have been any happier! This opened my options for a new laptop, and to finally take the Mac plunge. Originally I wanted a MacBook, but in thinking things through, I opted for a refurbished iBook. It works just as well, and will suit my needs just fine. For the time being. :)

My friend Andy showed me this video, and it's just too good NOT to share. It almost makes playing the flute cool. Almost.

Up Late...

I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I'm not sure what it is, I'm blaming the Springtime in the air, and that I've caught Spring Fever! I find myself sleeping with my windows open and fan on-listening to the rumblings of life outside my window. Listening to little girls and their daddies going to the park, the birds trying to find a tree to land on. The occasional security beep of a car, signaling that they are through for the evening, and the tick tick tick of heels headed home. Ahh...life.

Life Lately. I've been staying busy with CrossFit, going faithfully to three classes a week. I'm tellin' ya, they are KILLER! I've successfully flipped tractor tires and raced against my time to get better and faster. I'm not as sore today, which I am thankful for although I'm sure it will hit me hard tomorrow. I've recruited another to CF-my friend Jon. I'm excited to have him come and get tortured with the rest of us. He's getting married in two weeks, SO crazy! I'm super excited and can't wait. I love them both!

To do a brief recap of last weekend, we (the girls and I) thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the Biltmore. I loved it's rich history and well preserved essence. We wandered through the gardens and investigated the Conservatory (Which was incredible, it was the Festival of Flowers while we were there), explored the four floors of the 175,000 square ft. house (not all of it, of course). It's hard to say what my favorite part of the house was, seeing as I could totally (and will!) return for many more tours of the building and grounds. We were able to go to the Winery, which used to be the old dairy farm; and have free wine tasting. I purchased a great bottle of Riesling for some special occasion, who knows when.

I've had a pretty busy week, working and various evening events. Friday Trish and I headed to Murfreesboro to purchase Trish's new bedroom furniture and to do a little shopping (taking advantage of Tax Free Weekend...) and dinner at Red Robin. Saturday I endured my CrossFit class and then after showering (we were really dirty) Katie, Preston and I hit the Main Street Festival in downtown Franklin. Can I just say that I love living in Franklin? I love the festivals, the small townness- the quaintness of it all.

Preston and I finally learned a valuable lesson at the Festival, that Carnival rides and Roller Coasters are NOT the same thing. We set out to conquer a few carnival rides (after our King Corn Dog and Funnel Cake, of course); and after deciding on the Boat (you know, the one that goes back and forth) and "Superman", we were sold. The Boat should have been our first red warning flag. The six year old who sat in front of us was completely unaware that there were two twenty-somethings about to lose their lunch right behind her. After recovering from the Boat, we chose Superman for our next adventure. Sharing a uni-seat should have been the second red flag, and coming in a close third is the "uni-belt" we had to share. Preston turns to me and says: "tighten that up. we are going to die." I'm so glad that I have an encouraging friend with me! We start out backwards (never a good thing) and are quickly lifted to the top and spinning quite fast. What did it for me was the music that was playing. I had originally been excited that there was music on this ride, but as we were spinning faster and faster, the music was becoming more and more distorted, reminding me that I was stuck at a freaky carnival out of a movie or something. My hands were sweaty, both Preston and I are vocalizing the noises our stomachs were making...you get the picture. We finally stop and we both almost keel over from the pain. We finally meet back up with Katie (who said, "Told ya!" when we walked up) and relaxed for a bit before heading to Pinkerton Park to chill. What a great day!

Today we kicked off our youth Small Group at church, we are totally pumped about it! I'm excited for the summer, it's gonna be good. I had dinner at Kyle's to meet a great couple (friends of his) who are thinking about moving to Nashville. I was able to catch up with a few friends that I haven't seen in a while and just laugh. We shared old stories (mainly some of my series of unfortunate events...) and enjoyed each other's company. It was a great time and I'm glad to meet Chris and Jaclyn!

I have the next two days off, and I'm up entirely too late, but hey, isn't that what days off are for?


I had an absolutely wonderful time with the girls this weekend at the Biltmore. I'll post more later, but enjoy these snapshots for now.

Lately I've been loving answering some of the email "quizzes" I've been receiving. Here's on I got just today, and thought it was interesting.

What I was doing 10 years ago:

-Finishing my first year of High School
-First knee injury
-First date

Five things on my to-do list this week:

-Send in my tax payment
-Go to the Zoo
-Decide if I am going to the Dove's
-Make a hair appt
-Be tortured by CrossFit

Places I have traveled:

-Mexico
-Japan
-Carribean
-VA Beach (my fave so far in USA)


Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

-Have a ROCKIN' house
-Have an car that works :)
-Travel
-Share money with family and church family
-Enjoy a vacation:)

Five of my bad habits:

-Popping my knuckles occasionally
-Slight OCD (it even annoys me)
-Don't like to drive. Ever.
-Running out of gas
-Wearing flipflops too much in the summer

Five places I have lived:

-Louisville
-Taylorsville
-Franklin
-Nashville
-Brentwood

Five jobs I’ve had:

-Chiropractic Assistant
-Nanny
-Membership Coordinator (YMCA)
-Lifeguard (My fave)
-Wedding/Reception Coordinator



I'm sorry it's been a few days since my last post, but I've been hoppin'! I'll start with last weekend :).

Friday Katie Carr (good friend from home) was in town visiting, and my schedule worked out so that I could see her and her new baby for a bit! Katie and I were able to catch up and run some errands before she headed out on the earliest Saturday morning flight back to Colorado. After hanging with Katie and Lily, I caught up with Trish for a late night chat. Our great idea to walk to the top of a hill in her new development was quickly aborted when Trish tried to "dash" across the mud-leaving her shoe in it! We got some good laughs and just sat on the front porch talking and enjoying the nice weather.

Saturday was a early morning! Mark and Natalie Munden were married on Saturday afternoon, so the ladies and I attacked the main room at Woodbine to prepare for the reception. The wedding was great, and the reception (which I coordinated) went off smoothly. Those of us who were left after the reception tear down opted for a calm dinner at a local Mexican place, and I was spent!

Sunday-MY BIRTHDAY! I had a great morning at church, breakfast with a friend, and then lunch with my parents who came in town. We ate at a little place in Opryland Hotel, then did a little shopping at OpryMills. I had just enough time to run home and freshen up before heading to San Antonio Taco Co. (known around here as SATCO) for a birthday party. I picked up Katie (whose birthday is also on the 13th) and we headed down to party. I was so excited to see that almost everyone had made it out! My favorite was that my pastor and his whole crew made it out-even the little Lamb, Wilson (their last name is Lamb..ha ha) You can see the photos here.

Monday was the start of my CrossFit training that my employer's so amazingly gave me as a birthday gift. It was another hard workout, my legs are still hurtin! I went again yesterday (wednesday) and we flipped tractor tires. Now that, I'm proud of. Those things were darn heavy, and I did it!

That's a quick wrap up of last weekend, and I'm sure next week I'll have much to say about this weekend as well. The girls and I (Trish, Katie and Lindsey) are headed to Knoxville and Asheville to see the Biltmore Estate. I'm so excited, I've always wanted to see it!

I love Starbucks, I do. I'm not into the "frou frou" drinks if you will; I enjoy a nice medium roast tall coffee ( with cream and sugar, please!) almost daily. As I was stopping in for my morning treat, I noticed my favorite house blend wasn't on the menu; it was replaced by the new Pike Place daily brew. I'm always up for an adventure, so I asked for the new brew. As I was driving away, I noticed the signature brown sleeve was gone as well. "What on earth is going on?" I thought. I looked down, and noticed (and felt) a change in the cup. Seems as though Starbucks is revamping it's look to promote a new "old" feel, look and brew. You can read more about the changes here. The Pike Place blend was ok, not my favorite House Blend, but better than some I have tasted.
Also with the changes on the cups, the adored "The Way I See It" quotes are missing from their walls.
In their honor, here are some of my favorite quotes I've read over time:

The Way I See It

I used to think that going to the jungle made my life an adventure. However, after years of unusual work in exotic places, I realize that it is not how far off I go, or how deep into the forest I walk that gives my life meaning. I see that living life fully is what makes life – anyone’s life, no matter where they do or do not go – an adventure.

-- Maria Fadiman
Geographer, ethnobotanist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer.


Playing in an independent rock band will eventually make you equal parts truck driver, gladiator and mule. Glamour is for those with trust funds.

-- Neko Case
Musician.

Music is what I always turn to when I’m feeling a certain way. It’s my reason for everything.

-- Josh Groban
Musician.

Well, I'm a day late in posting this, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY JON! Yesterday (April 8th) was my good friend (and basically brother) Jon's 26th birthday. Bethany (his fiance) got a group of us together to celebrate last night at Nacho's, a great Mexican place in town. We enjoyed laughing, listening to awesome music the DJ played, and played Trivia! We actually won...GO TEAM!
The funniest part of the night was when I was just chattin' away, and suddenly my back was wet and cold. A waiter accidentally spilled water all over me, my chair and the floor. I had the momentary shock while everyone was laughing, but then happily joined it. It was hilarious, and I mean, c'mon. It was bound to happen to me with my luck. The best part is that later in the evening I stood up and noticed that right behind my chair was a large, yellow CAUTION: WET sign. I mean, seriously? :)
After Nachos, just a few of us were left so we headed to Downtown Franklin for a little bit o' Red Pony. We sat on the back deck and enjoyed listening to Bethany and Jon tell hilarious stories about each other. Can I just say, I'm SO glad they are getting married??? I LOVE her!

I'm a believer now. My friends have talked about Crossfit for some time now (ok, like two years) but there hasn't been an actual Crossfit studio in my area-until now. Katie told me that she had signed up with some friends, and it had been kicking her butt ever since. I went today on my first free visit; and became a follower.
"CrossFit is a strength and conditioning system based on functional movements performed at a high- intensity while incorporating variation among planes of movements and metabolic pathways. CrossFit is designed for universal scalability."

Basically, it means an hour of intense pain. At least, that's how it was for me. Todays workout consisted of:
500meter row
40 squats
30 situps
20 pushups
10 pullups (I did assisted, I was weak)
THEN- we went outside to do more strength training.....
20 Kettlerows (weighted things you swing from a squatted position to over your head)
10 single leg step ups onto a plyo box
20 "focus" jumps (jump and "stick" it)
Lunges down the pavement.
Oh, and did I mention that the second part, we did THREE times?
Yeah, OW. Holy OW. I was DYING. But, I'll be back on Monday evening! And I can't wait. The trainers that run CrossFit (ironically both named Steve) are incredible. They are super encouraging and fun to work out with. I'm doing to enjoy my times of pain with them.
After we were all moaning and dying of pain, the trainers suggested we all go to brunch. I loved it! I am so excited about this new venture on many levels. One, it's a great and fun way to get in shape. Two, meeting new people. Just today I met a new chiropractor which I'm SUPER excited about. Three, just having fun in a different way. I'm a person who loves to see change, and I'm excited it's going to happen in my body! Everything was timed today, so I'm looking forward to Monday and beating my current time.

Until then, It's no high heels and wobbling as I walk. I'm THAT sore.

Just a quick shout out to my cousin Nick, and his wife Lara. They welcomed their first baby boy, Ari Nicholas Brown into this world yesterday afternoon. He weighed 7lbs 10oz and has a head of dark hair. Both mom and Ari are doing well.

I'll post photos soon!

Kentucky





So this week I took a whirlwind trip to Louisville to catch a showing of the Easter Pageant and meet up with some friends. Wednesday I went straight from work to meeting up with an old friend Austin for dinner, then we headed to see the Easter Pageant (which was very good!) and then to Steak and Shake to reminiscence and laugh about middle and high school. I met Austin in middle school, I was 12, he was 14. We "went out" in middle/high school; so it was great laughing about all the things we did, dances we went to, etc. I had a great time.

Thursday I spent some time at a local coffee shop lovin' some great joe and catching up with a girlfriend of mine Becky (seen above). We had a GREAT time shopping in the Highlands (my favorite part of Louisville) and playing around taking photos. I was able to accomplish everything I wanted except having coffee with my dear Heather...so sad! I had breakfast with my real dad, took my other dad to lunch, another lunch with Grandma, coffee and shopping with Becky, stopped in to say goodbye to Austin, then I was back on the road! I'm quite impressed with myself and my awesome skillz.
So, that was my whirlwind trip to Louisville! On my next trip, I'm hoping to catch up with Heather and have dinner with Sarah and Scott. I haven't seen them since they were married! How lame is that?

I was thinking about my old Honda today, and remembered that Trish had created a loving poem about my car (and it's issues) a few years back. Luckily, I have it saved and am able to share it with you. It's pretty incredible!

The Week of the Car: Ode to Stacey
By Trish Dubes
There once was a girl
who had trouble with cars
they didn't seem to like her
Or let her travel very far

She had a white honda
full of all her cds
but when she was in goreville
someone broke in without keys
 They took her stereo
and all of her music too
Stacey wanted to cry
because it made her feel so blue
Then someone came to bless her
gave her money for the repairs
said "fix whatever is broken,"
and Stacey threw her hands in the air
She took it to a shop,
where she trusted it was fine
but just a few days later
the car stalled in a traffic line
 People were not kind
they yelled and honked their horns
for a very brief moment
Stacey wished her car had never been born
 After lots of drama
a friend came to help her out
she got back to the church
and took some guys back to the route
They took a look at her car
and tried to get it started
But when it wouldn't budge
they labeled it retarded
 One of these young men
had a thought that came along
"why don't we push the car
All the way back to NewSong?"
 So at 4:30 in the afternoon
Five guys and a girl
rolled the car to the church
all the way up the hill
 Stacey was so blessed
but still a little bummed
she didn't have a car now
how would she make it home?
 Once again, God was good
and sent Jon along her way
said "Stacey you can use my car
until the end of the third day."
 The third day came
a Sunday it was
Stacey got in Jon's car
but it didn't even buzz
 The first thought came
"This has to be a joke"
the battery was dead
Another car Stacey broke :)
 Why was the battery dead?
Many of you might say
Someone left the lights on
through the evening and the day
 So this is my poem for Stacey
a rhyme for her week of cars
A week that doesn't seem so funny
but later she'll laugh real hard
 I have just one more thing
my tiny piece of advice:
Just sell the little white honda
and use the money toward a bike. :)



Wow, it's been a busy weekend! My mom and sister Stephanie came in town late last week for Stephanie's audition for the tv show Nashville Star. She made it through the audtion and on to the National's! Go Steph! The National's were held here in Nashville the next day. She spent her day practicing and standing in line-then in she went! She won't know for a few weeks of her results. Let's hope she makes it!
Easter Sunday was great! I didn't want to drive to my mom's since I had to be at church, so I opted to celebrate with my Nashville Fam-the Lamb's (my pastor). They were having their house worked on, so we went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse (I know, right?) and Trish and Ernie joined us. We had a great time laughing and just hanging out. After lunch, I went home to do laundry and relax before chillin' at Trish's. We haven't talked in so long it seemed, so we chatted before deciding on having some people over and making a home made pizza. Ian and Chris came over and we landed on watching Hot Rod. If you haven't seen that movie, I highly suggest it! It's SO funny. We laughed and laughed....
Last night I was so glad to have a night off and not do anything! I made Chili, did laundry and watched some tv before chatting with Lindsey, my roommate. Can I jut say that I absolutely love her?! I'm so glad we are roommates! Tomorrow (Wednesday) I'm headed to Louisville to see the new Easter Pageant at Southeast (my home church). They have totally re-done the Pageant and I'm so excited! You can view the trailer here. I was in the Pageant for five years when I lived in KY, so I'm really pumped about the new look, sound and feel of it. I'm also uper excited because I'm getting meet up with SO many people! Tomorrow I'm meeting with a friend that I haven't seen in SEVEN years! I can't wait to see him! Thursday I'm having breakfast with my Other Dad and his fam, various coffee dates with Becky, Heather, Patrick and Sarah. Lunch with mom and Grandma.... By the time I have to drive back to Nashville, I'm going to be POOPED! But, I can't wait!

My fellow Blogger friend Trish recently posted "Six weird things about yourself"; and I thought it was interesting and enlightening. I was tagged to continue, so here goes!

1. I have mild Obsessive Compulsive Behavior tendencies. I cannot stand it when walking a sidewalk not to have an even number of steps before the next segment of pavement. When working out, either push ups in the gym or sit ups on the stability ball; I have to be going parallel to the lines on the gym floor/stability ball. My friend and trainer Katie can vouch for me. I count all the time. I count my claps at church or concerts, I count steps (21 at my church, 11 at home) wherever I go.

2. I can't handle bridges. It started as a child, but has carried over into adulthood. Lucky for me, there are no bridges in my city! I really freak out. I think of how they move while I'm driving on them, how they could collapse with me on it, etc. I was taking a road trip with Katie this past year to VA Beach and we had to drive over a series of bridges. I was freaking out and she was reassuring me; only to have a series of tunnels (Katie hates tunnels) to go through as well. It was quite the sight!

3. I have to rearrange my room constantly. When I finally land on a set up I like, I can usually take it for about a month before launching in to my next phase of "what works best" for my room. Just last week I rearranged my closets (yes, I have two in my room) and chest of drawers. I do have to say, I did increase my space capability for my growing show collection.

4. Dirty dishes bother me. I can't not wash the dishes. Even if they aren't mine (I'm sure my roomie loves that I have this problem!), I clean them up. Of course, there is the occasional mess from a party the night before, but 99% of the time, my kitchen is spotless.

5. I say "might could" and "breakfrist" alot. This has to do with my upbringing in the South; however I find it funny that I can't kick this habit. In MY head, it makes perfect grammatical sense. But when I'm with a group of people, (one of them being a English teacher), I suddenly realize I sound like the hick from the sticks.

6. I've been shot in the head, twice. I know, I know. I'll let you recover from the shock. When I was about 10, (mind you, we grew up in the country) I took my younger brother Sam (who was about 3) out to shoot my pellet gun. I was showing him the ways of the rifle when he says to me "I'm gonna shoot you!" I laughed, because, after all, he's just a kid! He continues to laugh and point the gun, so I take off running down the hill. As I'm running I feel it hit the back of my head ( a 3 year old with good aim!) the rest is history. I would love to say that was our last time with a gun, but indeed it is not. Fast forward 6 years. I'm 16, my older brother is 17. We're playing with a pistol bb gun and he ignorantly puts it to my head and pulls the trigger. Yep. Blackness. Pain. Pain all over my left side. He gets grounded BIG time. Again, I'd like to say that we've learned our lesson; and we have when it comes to safety-but shooting guns is a tradition with our family. The bigger, the better. Let me reassure you, we HAVE learned the safety course. :)

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