quote of the day...

courtesy of espn at halftime.

"bama came for a fistfight; clemson came for a high school dance"

i love it :)

off to a good start

the beautiful madness of college football has officially begun, and my team has started things off right.  georgia won 45 to 21.  let's hope the #1 team in the country stays that way.  man, I LOVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

a pleasant surprise

i don't like to air a lot of political opinions on my blog, because that isn't really what i set out to make this be.  this however couldn't escape my attention.  i love politics, and although i was hoping for huckabee, this pleasant surprise tonight makes me all the more excited.  go here to read more about it and listen to the speeches.  although people have a variety of opinions already on this news, i'm sure it will make things all the more interesting in the coming months leading up to november.  one cool fact, this announcement was made from dayton, ohio - relatively close to where i now live!

silly, but it made me cry

some people have asked me if i'm homesick yet.  my answer is yes and no.  most days i'm okay, but tiny stupid things will remind me of something sentimental and i get that ache for north carolina.

example - sunday night i was looking up georgia's football schedule online.  i started getting excited.  i love college football season.  but then it hit me.  i wouldn't be in the middle of the sec conference this year.  the beautiful madness of uga vs. fl. or sc vs clemson.  i'm no longer in the midst of southern college football.  now this may seem silly, but i burst into tears.  and didn't stop crying for an entire hour.  

i wasn't really crying about football, but just that i'm in a place that's not familiar to me.  no one here knows me well yet.  i don't know where the good restaurants are or where to take my dog to the vet.  i can't call my mom and meet her for lunch.  i feel like i'm starting all over.  it's hard.  

i know all these feelings are normal, and honestly, i don't feel this way most of the time.  i've met a lot of friends (more than i did the entire year i lived in sc) and really do love it here.  i know this is what God has for brandon and i at this point in our lives.  it's just normal to miss what's familiar to you i guess.  it felt so good to just cry like that though.  get it out.  i hadn't done that since we got here, and somehow i felt relieved and renewed when i was through.

and to think the waterworks all started with thoughts of college football...:)

my day

a photo summary of my wonderful day spent with two amazing pre-k kids; eli and peyton (not manning by the way).  school pick-up, lunch, park, ice cream, play time.  so much fun!

monday

some random thoughts...

• this past weekend was a blast.  we went to a wedding of some of our new friends and had so much fun.  it was on this hill overlooking downtown cincinnati at night.  stunning.  brandon even danced...seriously, he cut a rug.  you should have seen it.
• saturday we went with paul and farrah, with their 3 kids, to see a 3D movie and dinner.  eli, 3 years old, had minor surgery on thursday, and so we all went to see fly me to the moon.  it was cute, but the 3D animation was really good!  after that, we ate at chipotle.  this place blows moe's out of the water.  amazing mexican.
• yesterday was another great day at rc3.  we already have an amazing church family.  brandon did a great job too. 
• i spent all morning cleaning; like deep cleaning.  both bathrooms and the kitchen.  vacuumed entire house.  it makes me feel so good when things are clean :)
• this past weekend i literally sorted papers for like 5 hours.  i organized, recycled, and shredded every piece of paper in our whole house.  i now know where everything is, and it is super organized.  we took three big boxes to the recycling center full of just shredded paper.  it was awesome.
• i wrote bills today for the entire month of september.  mailed 10 envelopes.  that is never fun no matter who you are.
• our landlord came over to fix our shower tonight.  our hot water handle wouldn't work, so we've been turning it on and off with a wrench.  it's fixed now.
• i have this spider in my kitchen window that will not die.  b has sprayed it with everything we have under our sink, but alas, he will not die.  i'm going to buy some raid or something tomorrow.  i'm scared of spiders.
• tomorrow night brandon and some guys from church are going to see hillsong united in indianapolis.  i'm not going to lie, i'm jealous.  it's a guy bonding thing though, and i told him to bring me a tee shirt or something :)
• ginger and i will probably hang out since our men will be gone.  it is SO good to have some girlfriends to hang out with.
• tomorrow i'll be picking up eli from pre-k for some hang out time while paul gets his wisdom teeth removed.
• gotta run; b and i have rented a movie.  happy monday!

:)

this is like the best nickname i've ever heard.  how sweet!  i look forward to things like this when i start my new job in a couple of weeks at cincinnati children's hospital.  i love it!

read this!

i just finished this book last night.  go here for more information.  i could not put it down.  seriously, if you hate to read and read like one book a year, let this be it.  i am blown away by it.  i think it is in my top 5 best books that i have ever read (and that's a lot of books!).  i'm planning on posting some parts that stood out to me the most later, but i'm still processing it right now.  please, go get this book and read it.  you will not be disappointed, i promise!  

inspiring

you know when you hear about someone's life or situation that just truly inspires you?  this morning i read about just that.  go here and read their complete story.  can you imagine adopting a wonderful baby girl and only months later finding out she has a terminal disease?  this family is radiating Christ through a situation that would be anyone's worst nightmare.  what a beautiful example of His love.  and as you can see, what a beautiful little girl.

3rd state in 1.5 years

i lived in nc before we got married.  i had to go through this pain-in-the-rear process to get a sc license a little over a year ago in sc.  brandon and i went to get our driver's licenses for ohio yesterday.  that makes 3 in 1.5 years for me!

it was the usual process, except for the fact that we had to take a test!  i didn't have to do that when moving from nc to sc.  we both missed 9 questions out of 40.  you can only miss a max of 10...whew!  it was so funny, because they ask you all these strange questions like what to do if you accidentally drive off the shoulder of the road, penalties for someone who gets a dui, and what kind of truck cannot cross a railroad track...common, lol.  we also registered to vote here, so in nov. we can participate in our first presidential election.  i was too young to vote last time, and brandon apparently never got around to registering...um yea.

anyway, we both did pass and received our new ohio licenses!  so proud, so proud :)

our new home

okay, finally we're posting some pictures.  they are shown in a before/after type fashion.  please keep in mind, we've only been here a week, and we have SO much more we'd like to do.  things are looking better around here though, as you'll be able to see.  i'm not sure what they were thinking with some of these paint colors and decorations, but we've tried to do what we could in a week to make it our home.  enjoy!

above is our kitchen before, not sure why the lady liked all those fake daisies...  and below, is it now!  we'd love to paint the cabinets white, but we're renters, so we can't.

above is our guest bathroom.  i like pink, but this is ridiculous.  below is it now.  fresh and clean!  we're going to add some decorations soon.

above is our master bedroom before.  somewhat of a sailor's theme?  below is it now!  calming and relaxing :)

above is our upstairs bathroom before (and my hubby's cute butt).  below is it now; warm and clean. 

below is what is still in brandon's office/music room.  i think we're going to leave it up...:)  just kidding.  brandon is going to paint it steel grey and make it real artsy.

below are 2 pics of our family room.  it's a great space to just hang out and relax with lots of windows looking out into our back yard.  (please excuse the red dining room, i hate it, and it's next on our list to paint).

below is the view from our front porch.  it's not the mountains, but it's nice :)

this is our new home!  come see us!  

10 things you may not know about me

i stole this idea from another blog of a girl i went to high school with.  she said she had randomly googled "why divers take showers after dives" (see previous post), and my blog came up on her search.  funny.

1. i absolutely love disney/kid movies.  seriously, they are my favorite.
2. i cannot fall asleep until things are neat in my bedroom and all my clothes are folded and put away.  drawers cannot be left open with clothes spilling out (amanda) :)
3. i am not a good speller.
4. this is the only show i do not miss right now.  don't laugh; it's good.
5. smerfs, care bears, and the movie et totally freak me out.
6. i think banana pudding, collard greens, and jello are gross.
7. i used to wish my mom would have another baby every year on my birthday until i was like 13.  i love big families.
8. i LOVE football. go dawgs.  enough said.
9. i notice people's veins while waiting in line at the store.  that must be the nurse part of me thinking, "i could get an 18 gauge in that vein!".  i know, it's kinda strange.
10. i used to get in trouble in elementary school for reading books during other subjects.  i liked to read, what can i say?  didn't that happen to you?

what are some things people may not know about you?  common, don't be shy!

a good day

well today was our first sunday at rc3.  it was great.  brandon led worship, and the church really seemed to respond.  i'm so proud of him; he really points everyone to God, not himself.  they had a little reception meet/greet type thing for us afterward, and so many people gave b such good feedback.  people were so welcoming and nice to us.  it was a great feeling to be so warmly received by our new church family.  i already feel like brandon and i have people we could call on to help us with things, and friends we connect with so well.  it is such a good feeling to have that community again.  i think that is something i've been missing in my life lately.  i'm also super excited to get involved serving in our community and church.  good stuff is ahead.

this afternoon i went to a baby shower for farrah's sister, tasha.  she's having twin boys in october.  it was fun to hang out with girls and get to know some people from church better too.  brandon went to the Y with some guys from church to play basketball while i was at the shower.  we have a YMCA like 1 mile from our house.  we may join later, but somehow i doubt we'd go much now since we're trying to settle in.  getting the house in order is exhausting!

today was so nice to just relax and not do any house stuff.  when we got home, b and i made some eggs and watched a movie.  now i'm sitting here blogging and reading, listening to him play the guitar and watching the olympics.  it's a beautiful summer night, and we've got the night to relax.  life is good indeed :)

on a side note, why to those divers have to take little showers after each dive?  anyone know?  it's bugging me.

a little bit of hometown

i found another reason lebanon reminds me of home, waynesville, nc, oh i do love that town.  a few miles from our house, there is this place called "the $4 theater".  new releases, only $4 anytime.  the seating areas are small; 6 screens.  i was so excited by this, because the only theater in waynesville had 2 screens, until they split 1 in half to make 3, and $3 matinees and $5 after 7pm.  all the time.  just a good old home-town theater.  we'll be going there in a few minutes to catch a movie with jos and ginger.  i'm not sure what we're seeing; i wanted to see the sisterhood of the traveling pants 2, but somehow i doubt brandon and jos will feel the same way.  

we'll be with friends though, and this makes me happy :)

10 things i like about my new house

1. space.  we have a lot more of it here.
2. fenced-in back yard.  we can let maya out to run around and play.
3. a basement with a laundry room downstairs.  no more laundry drying on the dining room furniture!
4. 2 bathrooms, whoop whoop!
5. a huge family room with 10 windows.  
6. a 70-mile bike/running trail, golf course, park, tennis/basketball courts, the breakfast club, and police station within 0.5 miles of my house.
7. 1 mile from jos and ginger, travis and narnia, and paul and farrah!
8. character.  it was built in the 1930s.
9. nice neighbors, small town, quiet street.
10. i get to live in it with the love of my life, my hubby, brandon.  i'd go anywhere for that man.

me = tired

i'm tired of unpacking.  i just want my house to be magically put together and painted with no more physical labor from me and for free.  paint is expensive.  i'm just tired and can't relax in the midst of this mess.  i am drained.

on a good note, our gas was fixed early this morning.  we have hot water and i can cook now!  when i actually have the energy to get cooking...ha

bla.

real friends and still no gas

brandon has been here at our new house since last thursday, and i've been here since sunday.  when b got here and duke energy came to cut on the gas, they smelled gas in the basement.  long story short, they were supposed to come back friday to fix it.  guess what...they didn't.  after several calls, today they come back, and somehow the message about our leak got mixed up and they thought they were just going to turn our gas on.  nope.  now they are coming back tomorrow to fix it.  i'm hoping they come early.  

this would be okay, but without gas we don't have hot water or an oven.  aside from not being able to cook anything, i'll be honest, i am not a fan of cold showers.  i know people all over the world don't have the luxury of a hot shower every day, but cold showers are downright painful, especially since i am such a cold-natured person.  so tonight, after jos helped brandon put together some furniture (thanks jos!), jos and ginger has us over for some pizza and let me take a hot shower.  it was wonderful!  those are real friends right there!  it is so nice to have friends 1-mile from your house who will help when you need it and open their house to you like it's no big deal.

i'm here!

sorry for the slow blogging.  moving = no time for anything else.  i got here to lebanon, ohio yesterday after a long and boring drive (5.5 hrs.)  i can't say i loved the drive through ky, but once i got to cincinnati it was all good.  

i already love this little town.  it is so cute!  i'll post pics later when my new battery charger gets here.  i lost it, so i haven't been able to take any pictures lately.  it's seems like a family-oriented place with a small-town feel.  within short walking distance from our cute little house you can be at a park, playground, golf course, bike/walking trails, and downtown lebanon.  it reminds me so much of home sans mountains.  some awesome people from church all helped brandon move in a  couple of days ago and others brought us food today.  we've felt so welcome here, so thank you to everyone.

last night i unpacked the kitchen, and today = more unpacking.  it's fun though, just time consuming.  let me say the weather up here right now is SO AWESOME!  in the morning it's been in the 50s, and during the day it's been a nice, non-humid high 70s - low 80s.  cathy, you would love it.  it feels great!

tonight b and i went to ikea with some new friends, jos and ginger, to get some essetials for our new place.  it's great to have met some people we already feel like are our good friends.  it is a refreshing thing for us.  it's fun to be 20 min. from ikea too :)

oh, by the way, michael phelps has made me an official swimming fan...:)  i love the olympics!

i'll try to update often and post some pics as soon as i get my charger.  time for bed, see ya!

bye house and a happy birthday

our beautiful little house in south carolina

well we moved yesterday.  i'm actually very proud.  thomas, brandon, and i began the day by running some errands and started loading the truck around 10 am.  we had tried to have most everything packed so things would go quicker.  later on brian, cathy, and zach came to help and brought lunch.  we really appreciate you all helping us!  we finished around 2:30.  it seems like there is always something else left to find a place for just when you think you're done!  overall, it went really well.

after having a bite for dinner at brian and cathy's, we went back to the house one more time. i wasn't prepared for how i would feel leaving.  i couldn't help the tears running down my face standing there in the empty house with brandon.  we only lived there for 9 months, but it was our first house.  our first christmas.  we put hard work into that house, and made lots of wonderful memories there.  it is a great house that was filled with lots of love while we lived there.  i've always been rather sentimental about houses.  we moved several times growing up, and i always had a hard time leaving them.  it's a special house, and we're glad we're selling it to someone we know who will love and take care of it like we have, but it's still a hard thing to leave behind. 

but the bottom line is it is just a house.  memories will be made in our new one too.  we know we're doing the right thing; God has made that more than clear.  we're so excited about this move and what He has in store for us, although it is also very scary not to know what lies ahead.  it's a good feeling to know you're in His will, and it's already been an adventure of trust.

i had the pleasure of resting most of the day, catching up on emails and such.  my mom, a teacher, got home around 4, and we got to enjoy a yummy dinner at the sweet onion uptown, followed by a great visit to see my grandparents.  it was so much fun to hang out and talk with them as well as spend some quality time with mom.  i absolutely LOVE MY FAMILY!!  seriously, i could not ask for better. 

brandon drove up this morning to ohio, and he made it there safe and sound.  thank you to everyone at rc3 who helped him move in today and for providing him with dinner tonight!  i'm so glad he's being taken care of :) 

tomorrow, after lunch with this best friend, i'll be headed to shelby, nc for a rehearsal.  my college friend amanda and my childhood friend justin are tying the knot this weekend.  i had the pleasure of playing a part in their introduction, so it's going to be a special wedding i'm sure.  after that, i'll be driving up to ohio sunday.  pray i don't get bored on the long, lonely drive!

on a random side note, today is my birthday (my spiritual birthday).  14 years ago on august 07. 1994, i made the best, most important decision of my life when i was saved.  it was a bible school, and i was 7 years old.  i was baptized a week later.  i look back on that day with such emotion.  it was the beginning of the best relationship i have ever known; a journey that i continually grow through each day.  i am so thankful for my salvation and those who had a part in leading me to Christ; namely my parents.  you both have been such examples of love and what it means to follow Him.  thank you.  what a wonderful reason to celebrate!

moving day is tomorrow!

much has happened since i last blogged . . .

*  spent a couple of days at a beautiful mountain house with brandon's family for a mini vacation.  it was a fun and relaxing few days filled with homemade french toast, gourmet italian (compliments to zach and sarah), naps, cards, and tubing down the green river (which was really quite fun, especially since b and i had never done that and got to experience it together).

*  came home today and have been packing like a mad woman ever since.  i think we're doing pretty good.  my type-a personality has every box labeled with a number, contents, and destination at the new house that coordinates with a master list.  i'm kind of proud of that :)  the plan is to finish up tomorrow and be on our way to north carolina where we'll spend the night.  brandon will be driving up to ohio thursday with the truck and our dog, while i h

ang out for a few more days for a good friend's wedding this weekend.

*  i got a call from cincinnati children's hospital offering me my choice of the two jobs i interviewed for (yay!).  i have a good idea, but haven't quite decided yet.  i've got to let them know tomorrow, so pray i make the right decision.  either bone marrow transplant or hematology-oncology.  it's a really amazing opportunity to learn some very complicated, cutting edge things.  it's a cool hospital.

*  i cut my hair.  it's a huge change (ponytail not even possible now), but i think i like it more than any way i've ever had my hair.  i feel 10 pounds lighter.  i was so worried b wouldn't like it, but he loves it, yay!

*  tonight is our last night in our 1st house.  it's kind of sad.  we've built some good memories here, so it's a bit bittersweet to leave...although good things area ahead!

*  tomorrow will be crazy.  pray we get everything done.  if you have nothing to do tomorrow, come on over ;)

oh by the way, check out what they gave me as a rental car when i went up to cincinnati for the interview last week.  i looked so funny, but it was fun to drive!

last day at crossroads

it's been a crazy couple of days.  since getting back from cincinnati, all we've done is pack and wedding activities with james and brittani's wedding.  their wedding was so sweet tonight.  i love weddings.  it kind of reminded me of mine a little over a year ago...:)

tomorrow will be our last sunday at crossroads.  although we're so excited to be at river's crossing in ohio, we're a little sad about leaving.  God's timing is so perfect.  i can look back over the past year and see so many reasons why He put us both there.  i have grown so much in my spiritual life; matured a lot, learned a lot, grown a lot.  i've learned how important worship is and how to worship without worrying about what others think.  it is grateful communication to our living God.  i had the opportunity to get to work with a lot of sweet  3-5th grade girls in kid zone.  this was something a little out of my comfort zone at first, but ended up being such a joy for me to get to serve in that way.  God is doing great things at crcc, and brandon and i will be praying for them and wishing them only the best upon our leave tomorrow.  i have loved being a part of the crossroads family.  thank you to everyone we've had the opportunity to get to know while we were there.  it's been wonderful!

tomorrow we'll be headed up to the mountains for a couple of days with the hubby's family for a mini vacation before we move.  no internet = no blogging for a few days.  sorry, i know you all are terribly disappointed :)

gotta go - lots of packing to do!