...

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...

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.

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!

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!

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....

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!

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

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.

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! 

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.

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.

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

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!

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. :)

These are the new shoes I just ordered! Trish and I spotted them at Dillard's over the weekend, and we both loved the different styles. She the classic and clean white, me the 'Starlets'. I bought them that day, then went home and found a better deal online. So back to Dillard's I went! I just ordered them, and they should be here in 3-6 days! Yipee! I love them because they aren't a shoe, but a sandal. They have a sandal bottom and a very basic, natural canvas on top to protect your foot. Very comfy, and for those who know me; I'm a fan of comfort. :)

This weekend I headed down to the Atlanta area for a whirlwind trip to see family! I had a great time. Mom drove to my place late Friday night, and we hit the road Saturday morning. We made it just in time for Lara's (my cousin's wife) baby shower. We were using mom's GPS system...and yea. They don't work so well! We entered the destination, and it was taking us everywhere except where we needed to go! We made it and had a great time. I was so excited to see my cousins at the end of the shower!

We headed to Nick's house for some chill time, then took Andrew home (he got sick). Nick let me drive his BMW! I was so scared of wrecking it....he kept saying "just punch it, just punch it!" It was great. Sunday morning we all reconvened at the cutest little cafe in downtown Kennesaw (where Nick lives). It's called the Whistlestop Cafe and it sits right on the railroad tracks. They make home made "cathead" biscuits, (It's a southern thing, ask your closest true southerner) the best pancakes and a million other southern niceties.

After brunch, Mom and I headed to Atlanta...and IKEA! I love the new development, Atlantic Station. It's similar to what we are getting here in Franklin, McEwen. It's very urban, with lots of retail and new housing. After a quick run through IKEA (I had to return some things and pick up some things) we headed home. It was a quick trip but so fun!

When I got home I crashed and got ready for the week. When I got home on Monday night, I got a call from an old friend whom I haven't talked to in seven years! It was a delight to hear from him, and I hope to continue our friendship. I love it when someone pops back into your life!

As promised, here are some photos from the Global Support Mission This is Love banquet we had on February 5th at Rocketown in Nashville.
You can view them here.

Be sure to check them out!

This week seems to have flown by! I can hardly believe it's already Thursday. I think it's due to the crazy weather that seems to have everyone in a hurry for the week to be over. Sunday was so nice, very warm even. As the week progressed, the colder it got. Yesterday (Wednesday) I woke to the ground being covered in white! Finally, snow! (We get REALLY excited when it snows in TN) It continued to snow off and on all day. I enjoyed listening to the hustle and bustle of the radio announcers; giving the city a play by play of the traffic. You would think that a snowstorm had just dropped 2 feet of snow! :) All of the schools in the area were closed, actually 3/4 of the state was closing the schools. My friend Trish phoned to tell me that she had a 2 hour delay at work; then they closed the office at 2pm! How great is that? Trish loved it too. I enjoyed the day watching James discover the snow outside. He would stand at the window and ooh and aah as they hit the window. At one point he was holding on to the windowsill, and tried to hike his leg up, as if he was going to climb onto the windowsill for a better view! So funny.

The flu seems to keep going around, it's even struck the home I nanny out of. I'm praying it doesn't hit me! I don't want it! :) I've been making sure my body gets enough water and sleep so my immune system doesn't drop. Tuesday night Trish, Katie and I went to Jackson's (great little grille on 21st Ave.) for dinner. It was nice to do something mid-week; I normally don't allow myself that luxury. But, that night was different. Katie and Trish wanted me to come along to "spy" on a yound adults group that was meeting, to get a feel for the group. Our plan backfired greatly. We were ushered to a table at the opposite end of the place! We got a good laugh out of it. The night couldn't be complete without a trip to Fido, a great local coffeehouse just down the block from Jackson's. As usual, the three of us ended up laughing so hard our cheeks hurt. I'm sure many people thought we were on something.

I'm looking forward to this weekend, I'm headed to Atlanta for my cousins' wife's' baby shower. Somehow this weekend ended up working for almost the entire family to get together.
I am excited to:
1) See my cousins Nick (wife is having the shower) and Andrew(my age, practically my brother).
2) See Lara, Nicks' wife.
3) Catch up with my Mama on the trip there and back
4)Hang with my aunts whom I never get to see
5) Go out Saturday night with my cousins :)
6) GO TO IKEA!!

Ok, well, IKEA in my heart is more towards the top of my list, but hey. I'm trying to be nice. :) My sister was supposed to join us, but isn't able to now. Bummer! I was looking forward to some seeester time. Ah well. The boy cousins will suffice I guess.... :)

Have a great weekend!

I'm at home sick tonight, which is a bummer; since it's Friday night! I'm actually enjoying a night off-I have a fire in the fireplace (mmmm...), brownies in the oven and I'm watching No Reservations. So far, so cute! I'm loving it. I'm hoping that my aches and pains won't turn into the dreaded flu that's been going around. If you've experienced the flu lately, I'm so sorry! I'm hoping to be feeling better by the morning.

Trish hooked me up with an AWESOME deal on pillows (I know, right?) today! She found a buy one get one free deal at Linen's and Things, and then had another 20% off that. So, want to know how much I saved? $63!! I only paid $17 for EIGHT pillows. Quite the deal, eh? I do say so myself. My bed looks so nice and plush with four pillows on it!

I hope your Valentine's Day was fabulous! I had a hot date with a blond haired, blue eyed sweetie! I'm talking of James, of course. (James is the one year old I nanny for) He had a Valentine's gift for me when I arrived, so sweet! "He" (aka, Danielle his mom) got me great comfy pj's, a framed photo of himself in a frame that matches my room, a heart shaped red suede pillow and a sweet card. He sure knows the way to a girls heart! :) After he went to bed, my friend Katie came over and we ordered Chinese and watches LOST--my addiction that I am not afraid to admit! That show is amazing.....

I hope you have a great weekend!

I've just returned from seeing the last showing of U2, in 3D at the IMAX. It was INCREDIBLE. I know it's a late work night, but I figure it's the closest I'll ever get to U2! A group of friends and I decided to go at the last minute yesterday; and I'm SO glad we went! One of the things I've always wanted to do was to see U2 live. This was as close as I could get-for now. Bono did some particularly peculiar interpretive dancing (which included: The Eagle, The Airplane, and my favorite, walking like a zombie blindfolded to his satellite stage. Hmm.) which was amusing throughout the show. The Edge (Electric, acoustic, keys) delivered quite the show, as always-and I was thoroughly impressed with the drummer and bass player as well.

We arrived a few minutes late and missed the opening song 'Vertigo', but we were soon kicked back in the back row lookin' cool with our 3D glasses on. I was sad that the theater audience wasn't more participative, but it's ok. Trish and I had our own back row party, while Ian had his own personal dance party. Alone. But we still love him.

All in all, it was a fantastic night! I'm looking forward to writing when I've seen them live....

I know, it's been a while since I've posted last. Things are staying busy here in Nashville! Since I've last posted I have had a new rooomate move in, and Sara is moving out this weekend. It's bittersweet; I'm sad to see her go, but she's getting married, so that's exciting! We also had the This Is Love banquet for Global Support Mission (I'll post pictures soon!) last night-which was so fun and exciting.

Global Support Mission (GSM) was founded by two young men who attend my church, Travis and David. I've been volunteering for their organization and LOVING it! We worked hard to put this banquet together, and it was so satisfying to see it go off without a hitch. Well, Nashville was under a tornado watch last night and we had to relocated to a safer room in the venue (which was Rocketown!). Other than that, the banquet was a success. There was a 20 piece Big Band, 'The Moonlighters'. We enjoyed dancing the night away, that's for sure! Faith Kunhira is the founder and operator of Bringing Hope to the Family, the orphanage and vocational school in Kihura, Uganda. Faith was the keynote speaker of the evening; and she shared her heart and vision for the village. Bringing Hope is the main orphanage that GSM is connected with-as of now. It was great to have her speak, I loved her accent! She was dressed in full African garb, complete with pink paisley. So cute. As I said before, I'll post photos of the event as soon as I can.

I'm still very much enjoying nannying for James, he's just the sweetest little boy ever! I'm enjoying him learn and discover new abilities and functions of his little body. His most recent accomplishment: spinning in circles! (I know, so cute!). He's also begun dancing a little-his favorite song you ask? Whitney Houstons' 'I Want to Dance with Somebody'. We break it DOWN in the kitchen. He also likes Los Lonely Boys 'Heaven'. He's been sick this past week unfortunatley, but I think he's feeling better now. Bless his heart! His first fever...it was rough.

Woodbine is going great, we have experienced growth and it's just really exciting right now! We've started hanging out with the other young adults and realized that we have more people under 30 than we thought! A few weeks ago we enjoyed hanging out at Jon's playing Guitar Hero. The guys thought it would be a great idea to create a complete bracketed tournament, and the games begun. I'm proud to say that I am the ranking #2 Guitar Hero player! I battled my way through easy and hard songs, defeated Brady, and lost to Travis, who had played only once before. I demanded a rematch, but didn't get it. :)

That's it for now! As always, I'm on the move! I'm excited about this weekend-I'm moving into Sara's old room. It's always exciting to get to re-do a room!

I hope your February has gone as well as mine has.....Happy Valentine's Day!

I can't believe it's January already! It seems that Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years came and went with too much hurry. Though the Holidays have passed, I'm still enjoying the cold, holiday-like weather; and trying to spend as much time as I can with family and friends.

The first part of my Christmas trip was spent at my family's farm in Kentucky. We had a great time of hanging out, shooting guns, etc. I was hoping for a few romps with the four wheeler, but there just wasn't enough time! All of the family came over, and we enjoyed a great Christmas meal (thanks mom!) with family, new additions (my brother was married this year!) and out of town guests (Yay Aunt Carol!).

The day after Christmas I jetted off to Washington, D.C. to visit the other side of my family-and loved every second of it! As soon as I hit the ground, we made our way around town to visit some of the sites. We enjoyed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and were even able to watch the changing of the guard. It was very moving. The amount of respect in that moment was insurmountable. After we darted through the sleet, we made it to the Arlington House, where Robert E. Lee once lived. It's an amazing view, overlooking parts of downtown D.C. and the Potomac River. Too bad he gave it up! We enjoyed going to 5 Guys, (seriously the BEST burgers and fries ever!) catching a movie on Quantico Marine Base (my dad is in the Army), packing in more adventures through downtown D.C.; and of course, the much needed chill time. We had a great time, though it was way too short!

Will post more later, but until then, enjoy these snapshots from this past weekend.

A lot has happened in the past two weeks since I have posted! I've started my new job as a nanny, and I'm LOVING it! James (my "boy") is so sweet, and cute. Couldn't ask for a better baby to watch. It's been interesting learning about young children, and amazing that I get to be a part of raising this child. Crazy.


After Thanksgiving, I jumped right into my last week of work at the YMCA. It was crazy busy, and I was sad to leave, but ready to move on. The following week (last week of November) I started nannying, and as I said before, I'm loving it. The new schedule is taking some to get used to, but other than that it's great. That week Trish and I went over to Kyle Cooper's to help him decorate; something that has become a small tradition. We ordered pizza and sat by the fire just chatting and catching up after we decorated. The next day, a whole bunch of people (about 40) went to the opening night of White Christmas at TPAC (TN Performing Arts Center). Of course, the night couldn't be complete without something ridiculous happening....None of us (Trish, Julie or I) quite knew where TPAC was, so I took us to what I thought was the right place. We ended up at another place entirely! We didn't have time to go back to our car, so we just walked, in heels and dresses, with no coats. It was hilarious, and we still made it just in the nick of time.

Thursday night Brooke Fraser played at 3rd&Lindsley, which was so fun to go to. A handful of friends were there, we had great seats, and the best part was that we were home by 9:30! Friday night I scored free tickets to see Keith Urban (he was playing in town), so Katie, Clayton, Justin and I went downtown to the Sommet Center for the show. It was a GREAT show, super long, but incredible. Keith (and his band) are really talented muscians; which is what I love the most. He pulled Martina McBride onto the show and did a duet with her which was fantastic. At one point after his encore, he said "Ok, the show is finished, but I don't want to go home. From here on out, it's totally on the fly". It was so great! He had each of his band members sing a line from The Steve Miller Band "The Joker". It was so much fun. I'm so glad we were able to make it!

Saturday I got up early, ran some errangs, worked out, then headed to 9 Fruits Smoothies, a new smoothie place that has opened in Cool Springs. 9 Fruits stands for the fruits of the Spirit...which is great! My smoothie was wonderful as well. Now I'm trying to recruit as many people as possible to stop by!

This past week was a little more low-key, and I was grateful. I was so beat from every night of the previous week, that I needed some "recover" time. My weekend wasn't long enough!! Saturday I slept in, worked out, stopped by 9 Fruits (of COURSE!) and then to run some errands. Katie came over and we started our Christmas Baketastic Saturday. We had so much fun, but ended up crashing at about 5:30 from our sugar high-to sugar low. :) We ordered Chinese and re-fueled before Aaron and Lauren came over to decorate cookies and make a gingerbread house. It was quite hilarious I must say so myself.


Sunday was our Christmas Kids Production-SO CUTE! They did a great job winning everyone's hearts. After church Curtis, Jon and I went to Stoney River for lunch. Curtis works there, so we had a discount. I love their food, wish I could eat there more often. After lunch we dropped by the new Green Hills development Hill Center to look around. There are great new shops like Anthropologie, West Elm, 5 Guys, Pei Wei, Swoozie's, etc. etc. etc. Such a fun little area! After running home and resting for a bit, Trish and I decided to go bowling. We called up some friends and they met us there for a great night of laughing and an overall good time. Mark, Todd and Manny met us there, but Mark, Trish and I played. I bowled my all time high of 104 (I know, lame) and was super excited!! We ended the night by playing a few rounds of arcade-style Dance Dance Revolution. It was so funny, and a fun way to end the night. Trish and I were able to catch up for a few minutes before she had to leave; she was showing me the paint swatches and wallpapers she has chosen for her new place. Less than a month to go before the house is finished! Woo hoo!

I know that was alot, but I'm trying my best to keep you in the loop! This week there will be no shortage of fun, tomorrow is our staff Christmas party, Life Group party, Frontline Party, Uturn party.....shew. I'm all partied out and haven't even begun!

I've made two trips to Kentucky this week! Shew! That's a lot of miles...but it was worth it!
The first trip last Sunday was to my old church Southeast Christian to see Phil Wickham.
Phil is a Christian artist whose music I have really come to love and appreciate! He has such an anointing to lead worship and is lyrically gifted beyond anything I have heard recently. My friend Julie came up with me, and we spent our Monday hanging around the Highlands and Old Louisville area. We had so much fun! We met up with my sister Stephanie who was shooting some new photos for her website. I'm sure her new pics will be up on the site soon.
After hanging with Steph, Julie and I met up with my friend Heather at Lynn's Paradise Cafe.
We had a GREAT time, that place is crazy! We enjoyed some Lynn-style lunch and of course, loved the decor. It's almost visually overkill, but that is what makes it SO fun! Everywhere you look there is something to see. Every table has a ugly lamp (they have a annual ugly lamp contest!) and miniature toy dinosaurs to occupy the wait time. It is definitely something else, something to behold!
We headed down Baxter Avenue to my favorite Louisville store, the Cherry Bomb. It's a fun vintage new and used clothing store. Julie and I picked up some great hats and I got a vintage Ferrari shirt. How fun!



My second trip was on Thanksgiving Day, this time to Lietchfield (where my mom lives). We enjoyed a great Thanksgiving, complete with our new sister-in-law! My step-brother was recently married, so it's great to have another addition to the family. The guys had a shooting contest (I shot once, it's so painful!) and the girls enjoyed picking through the wedding proofs and warming our toes by the fire.




After playing some cards, we opted to go see a movie in Etown. We all agreed on August Rush, and I do say, it was amazing. When I got back to TN tonight, I actually went to go see it again! It was that good. I wish the ending was a little longer, but hey, it was great so I'll take what I can get. I absolutely loved the soundtrack; the blend of rock and classic was fantastic. I can't wait to own it!

Well, it's that time to put up the Christmas decorations! I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

As promised, here is the video that we filmed Sunday night. We had such a blast putting it together, and thanks to Jon for editing it SUPER last minute, you rock! I'm hoping that we win in our category; they take this seriously at the YMCA. In two weeks we will have the ceremony at the Theater and see who won! I'll keep you posted...but until then, enjoy the video!

Wow, I had one full weekend! Friday night was Frontline, our church's young adult ministry. We recently had a team go to the Dominican Republic, so they shared stories, led worship DR-style (which included singing in Spanish-which I LOVE), and performed a drama. The drama they performed was to the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. You may have seen this drama at an event or even online. Here's the video by another group, but the same one.

One of our friends recorded the song in Spanish so they could share it in the D.R. What a powerful song and drama!

Saturday, I got up early, went to Starbucks and read for a while before trying to get a early start on some Christmas shopping. I found some GREAT Christmas wrapping paper and ornaments on sale, half price! I love a good sale! Katie and I met at Pier One to finish the shopping, then headed out to Natchez Trace and Puckett's Grocery for lunch.


I absolutely LOVE Lieper's Fork! It's so fun, and so beautiful! We hiked about 4 miles before heading back to Puckett's for some home-cooked goodness. I love that place as well, so quaint and some GOOD food!

Saturday evening was Uturn(youth), and this week was Merge (small groups), and I am SO proud of my group! Since I'm not leading a group anymore, it was great to come back and see how they are growing. After Uturn, I met up with some friends at the fire pit at my apartment! I had NO idea we even had an fire pit! It was a lot of fun, roasting some serious smore's and singing. Sunday was church, and again, PA brought it! This week he talked about Walking the walk, walking in Love. It was so good, and just what I needed! My friend Kyle led worship, so we all went out to lunch afterwards. We sat where we could see the Titans game, and sadly, they lost. They played really bad, and I wasn't proud. I'm hoping to go to a home game before the year's end though. After lunch I went to Angela Wards' house so Lauren could practice make-up on me. She had an interview at Mac makeup (only the BEST!) and I was her model. Two days of amazing makeup...yes please!!
Sunday night we filmed our Academy award video for the YMCA, to U2's 'Beautiful Day'. It was quite the experience, I'll just say I climbed a rock wall with a guitar and jumped down. It was awesome. I'll post the video when it's finished.

So, that was my weekend! I hope you had a weekend as enjoyable as I did!

I haven't posted in over a year, I guess I have forgotten about this blog. BUT-it's a new day! I want to have this blog to be able to keep family and friends up to date with my ever-changing life!
So, without further ado...here's what I've been up to.

For the past two years, I have worked at the YMCA of Cool Springs. I started as a lowly birthday party worker, and slowly worked my way up. I currently am in the Membership Coordinator position, which I love. It's had its ups and downs, but I have enjoyed learning new things! I am also working for New Song Woodbine, as the Administrative Coordinator. I started that position a little over a year ago, right after graduating from the Student Internship. I really enjoy this position as well. NS Woodbine is located in Nashville, and is smaller than the main congregation in Cool Springs (Franklin). I do love the smaller congregation, (we average about 150) it feels more like the church I grew up in and like a family.



This past Saturday my step-brother James got married! Congratulations! Last weekend were the bridal shower/bachelor party and then this weekend was the wedding. It was beautiful, his bride, Sarah was beautiful, and the reception was so fun.
So, James and Sarah, congrats and blessings on your future!

After driving home from the wedding I met some friends at Jackson's in Hillsboro Village (our current favorite hang) for coffee and snacks. Sunday, church was amazing! Pastor Andrew (PA) brought a word of Walking the Walk, and walking as a new creation. It was a fresh and encouraging word for me, for sure! Sunday evening Trish came over and we tried to watch Spiderman 3 (didn't get in to it), and opted for the movie "Evening". Very interesting, but good.
We ended the night early and I headed straight to bed. I've enjoyed adjusting to the time change! On that note, I've been here in Nashville for 4 years, and still the fall time change amazes me. I mean, it is DARK by 5pm. So weird! By 4:15 is the eerie color of evening, and 5:00pm complete night. I love it, but is so hard to adjust to every year.

Well, it's off to the rest of my lunch break. I look forward to updating this post to keep everyone up-to-date with my life! Have a great Tuesday!