More than I Could Ask For

My heart has been so full lately. Being back in Chattanooga for more than a few days at a time has been better than I could have asked.

Last Monday, I worked at CVP for the day and got to see all of the CCS sophomore girls that I hadn't seen in what seemed like forever. My heart was overwhelmed with love for these girls and oh, I was just so so happy to see them and literally be tackled by them when they saw me. Then, Allie was jealous that I saw other girls so we had breakfast together on Tuesday morning like the "old days". And in typical Tuesday morning fashion, we ran into Carolann, Elissa, and the GPS girls. It was such a great way to start a long Tuesday morning with hugs from all of those familiar faces.

As I've mentioned in my last few blog posts, I have LOVED my new plus old group of friends of  Cary, Kelly, and Emily. I have spent hours talking and enjoying the doubled-over, can't breath kind of laughter with at least 2 of the 3 girls last Monday, this Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and now Tuesday. Seriously, I cannot get enough with these girls--I feel like we have known each other for years!!

And then on top of all of that, after a lot of thought and some needed time away, I was ready to return to First Pres. It really was a hard decision for several reasons. I really needed to separate myself from the youth group for a while, not because I don't love them dearly, but because I needed to just have a break. I also needed to make sure that I didn't allow myself to keep doing my job that I wasn't getting paid to do...a hard truth I needed to make sure I was spending time with students because I wanted to and not because I needed to. (And please don't think that I ever spent time with students that wasn't out of pure love for them and loved doing so, but I just needed to make sure...if that makes sense.) But after some time away, I was ready to get back to my church and man! was it good! I loved seeing the familiar faces, getting big comfortable hugs, and the genuine excitement in seeing people I haven't seen in a while. And who would have thought, but I missed the organ! haha Well, maybe not missed, but it sure was nice being back in a comfortably uncomfortable pew singing with a full choir out of a hymnal.

And the cherry on top, I got had dinner at the Tinsley's with a group of youth group students. It was so so so much fun and full of laughter thanks to the great company!

So all of this rambling is to say, that no I don't know where my life is taking my right now, but my heart has been so full and overwhelmed with blessings of friends in Chattanooga these past few weeks and it has been just what I wasn't smart enough to pray for myself.

Fall Festivities

This weekend consisted of all things fall and wonderful. After a long walk with Erin and then another walk with Katie later in the afternoon, I got ready for my first football game as Signal Mountain's guard instructor. Besides the fact that I had to pay to park and walk half a mile to get to the game, it was really fun! Chilly, but not too cold and it was crazy going to a high school football game without wearing a pound of make up and spandex. Ha! After the game, Katie and I got late night Ayala's, watched Bridesmaids and her friend Bully came over and we sat out on the Franklin's porch. Bliss.

Saturday morning, the guard had practice to help us prepare for our competition this coming weekend. It's been so fun to be back in the "guard world"--crazy throwback, but fun! We still have a lot to do before the competition, but they're doing well for me being the 3rd instructor they've had this season! (First girl is awesome but got a job so she couldn't come to practices, the 2nd girl was cray-cray, or so I've heard, and now there's me!) While I was at practice, our new friend Cary invited me over for a late breakfast. A late breakfast turned into a late lunch because I stayed after practice for a while. Sidenote: Cary grew up on Signal, went to Tennessee and just graduated, and is back at home. We've only been friends for a week, but she is quickly becoming apart of the group of girls I hang out with. Kelly met up with us to run errands, watch football, and then we went to meet another new friend in a similar situation as Cary. Emily's parents had a bonfire on their home at the back of the mountain. Let me tell you--it was perfection. Bonfire, chili, drinks, friends, and of course s'mores. And even better, I got to wear a cardigan and boots. If that doesn't say fall, I don't know what does.

Sunday was my first day back at First Pres since the first weekend in August. I needed time to distance myself for a while and after seeing a group of the girls on Monday when I worked at camp for a day retreat, I felt like I was emotionally ready to be back. I don't even think I realize how much I had missed the teaching, fellowship, and "at home" feeling I have at my church. My heart was so full and overwhelmed with love for the kids and familiar faces of the church. Oh, I just loved it! The rest of the day involved a lot of indecision, eating, and relaxing with Cary, Emily, and Kelly.

Sorry for the lack of pictures! We used Emily's camera to take pictures at the bonfire, but once they're up on facebook, I need to post them on here. They're hilarious--Kelly is 4'11 and Cary is 6'3--just picture that and it's humorous enough! Hope everyone else had a weekend as great as mine was! :)

LEW is Leighton! And she's here!

One of the biggest blessings from CVP that I've gained are the friendships that I have found in my co's. Co's have a special bond because they have to be "mom and dad" to 8-10 girls for a week and I keep in touch with almost all of my past co's. One of the co's that I have kept in touch with most regularly and have enjoyed seeing her often in Chattanooga is Alex. Alex and I were paired together at the beginning of Alex and Forrest's relationship and it was so neat to see and hear all of the girly details (well not all because if you know Alex, you know how private she is--and I love that about her).

Fast forward through a quick engagement (I only say quick in the opinions for the rest of society, it was exactly as long as it needed to be and not a day longer :), a couple years of marriage with Alex in youth ministry and Forrest teaching and coaching baseball at CCS to last August. As they were helping me move into my apartment, Alex and Forrest called me into their garage to tell me in a very similar way to how I found I was going to be an aunt to Charlotte (Alex was my co when my dad sent the email to camp saying "What's the difference between an ant and an aunt? One is a 6 legged insect and the other is you! haha We both hugged and cried and I love that I shared that moment with my co) that they were expecting. It was still very early on and they were only telling close friends and family, and I was overjoyed to hear the news. Sadly, a few weeks later Alex called to tell me about her miscarriage. Hearing her sound so heartbroken hurt my heart for their loss. But God is good no matter the circumstances and just a few months later, the Walkers announced their healthy pregnancy of a little girl! 

Fast forward yet again to this past Sunday night! Alex checked into the hospital to be induced and after a quick and easy labor (seriously, Alex shocked me when she boasted on the ease of her super quick labor!!), Leighton Elyse Walker was born at 7:36am Monday morning; weighing 7lbs 10oz and 20.2 inches long! A healthy, beautiful little girl. She hardly looked "newborn"; tiny and precious, yes. But she didn't have the splotchy newborn skin that most day old babies have. I feel overwhelmingly blessed that I was able to visit Alex and Forrest and Leighton while they were still at the hospital. I will definitely be frequenting the Walker household since they live less than 10 minutes away to visit with Alex and spend many more hours hold ing my 3rd "niece". :)

Congratulations Alex and Forrest! She is beautiful and perfect and you can totally brag about your sweet daughter because it's all a blessing from God! 

Rover Rally 2011

This past weekend was the perfect daddy-daughter mountain weekend; complete with a cabin on top of a hill, barbeque, off roading with plenty of hills, rocks, mud, and Rovers. We got settled in on Friday night and bought way more groceries than we needed.

My dad and I headed out late morning, leaving Kirby and Felicity back a cabin, (don't worry! They got to go to a fair, eat pizza, and take naps while we were gone!) and we were off!

It was fun as always, but I feel like only pictures and videos can do justice to show our weekend off trails.

As we were leaving, Dale and my dad were saying how well everything had gone, how great the weather was, and that everything just worked out perfectly. If that isn't a jinx, I don't know what is....
So as we're driving to meet Kirby and Felicity at Rib Country and my dad looks at me and says "The power just went out." Me: "I don't know what that means." And my dad says, "Well we're just coasting. The engine isn't working." We coast into a driveway off the highway and with our good luck, a line of 6 Land Rovers pulls up behind us about 5 minutes later. Which then lead to about 8 self proclaimed Rover experts sticking their head in the engine of the "Albino Rhino".

When they finally concluded that it was more than just a side-of-the-road fix, the group of well prepared off-roaders had all the necessary equipment to tow us into town and right into the parking lot of Rib Country. Convenient, right?

Long story short, we had to leave the Rhino in the Rib Country parking lot until yesterday morning (Tuesday AM)...more on that later. Back to the weekend; Sunday was mostly for packing up and heading home. But Kirby and I made sure to stop by Panorama Apple Orchard in Ellijay. Felicity loved get to snack on apple and fried apple pies while we shopped around! Too. Stinking. Precious.

Now for the rest of the dead Rover saga. We left the lonely truck at Rib Country to brave the rain and barbeque eaters' parking lot. My dad had to call Good Sam, then me, then Rib Country, then Good Sam again, and then again, and probably a few more times. After lots of coordinating (and bribing me with money), I did my dad the favor of driving to Murphy, NC from Chattanooga at 8 AM this morning for the 2 hour drive there and the 2 hour drive back all before lunch so I could sign a sheet of paper to let Good Sam know that the tow truck did what they were supposed to do. Oy. All in all, it was a wonderful and memorable weekend with my dad, sister and niece.

PS- Felicity is growing up so fast! She said "Kristin" on Friday night and I think my whole heart melted! She's looking and sounding less and less like a baby and more like a toddler every day! They really do grow up so fast!!

Memories of Rover Rallies Past

This weekend is the annual "SOLARIS" Rover Rally. There are usually several around the Southeast, and we make it a point to go to at least one a year. It is a fall time tradition that I love getting to share with my dad and whatever friends and family can come. I've been going to these with my dad since middle school, but thanks to digital cameras, I have the last few years documented to show you! I wish I could find some from middle school...those would be a trip down memory lane for sure. 

Can't wait for another weekend in the mountains! It's just my dad, Kirby, Felicity and myself this year. Lots of pictures to come :)

A Fall Bucket List-Thanks to Pinterest

Bulldogs and Bonfires

Although the Bulldogs are 0-2 now, I have to say that I was much happier with how we played this week. I felt like we were actually playing football and yes, there were some mistakes, but we were actually fighting for the score this week that just running around the field losing helmets and shoes after every play.

Rewind a little bit to Friday night (sans pictures--fail on my part). I got in to Athens with plenty of time for Jessica and I to run errands, run downtown to shop before the shops closed, and eat an early dinner at the delicious Taquiera del Sol. We went to the Winery to sit outside and people watch when we ran into Casey and Pamp! It was great to catch up with some Alpha Gam alums that I haven't seen in years.

Saturday wasn't too early of a start and we finally made it out to the Alum tailgate in Myers. I loved getting to see girls from my pledge class and a couple of the older girls too with plenty of time for catching up and taking pictures of course!

Although we lost, I was and still am proud to be a Bulldog. The weekend was fun, as Georgia game day weekends always turn out to be. Jessica and I made it an early night (hello old age!!) and we were in bed by 10:30 on Saturday night. We slept in on Sunday and went to an early lunch at the yummy Graze. Deeeeeelicious. I headed back to Marietta for an afternoon with my family--which involved a lot of running up and down the sidewalk "racing" Charlotte.

My dad went back to his redneck roots and invested in a "campfire in a can". No, seriously...

So Katie, Charlotte, "Gigi" and "G-Paw", and the dogs, all sat around the fire, roasted marshmallows, and made some end of summer s'mores. I love memories like these. :)

Ten Years Later

How is it possible that 9/11 was 10 years ago today? I remember after it happened, someone said: You will never forget what you were doing when you heard the news. And that is so true. Whenever 9/11 comes up in conversation, people always talk about where they were when they heard of the planes hitting the Twin Towers.

I had just started Freshman year at Pope and was in 1st period Spanish with Senora. Lewis--a semi-loopy, strong Christian, Spanish teacher that I later had for homeroom my Sophomore and Junior years. We had taken our first test of the semester, my first test of high school, and were working on flashcards for the next chapter. Dr. Stowers came over the intercom to announce that the first building had been hit and immediately, Senora Lewis turned on the news. Dr. Stowers son had been in New York and saw the North Tower get hit and called his mother, which she then passed on the news for us to turn on our televisions. Most of us were unaware of the gravity of what was going on, but Sra Lewis was on the ball with what Al-Queda was and explained to us that she presumed this was a terrorist attack. She wrote over the board information that I knew nothing or little about. The bell rang and we were off to 2nd period with hallways buzzing of what was going on.

I was in Coach Griffin's geography class and as I walked in, the 2nd tower was hit. I was furious when another student in the class was laughing just before it was hit because they thought someone had accidentally run into the building. Once the plane collided with the second tower, the fact that I was watching this happen live seemed surreal to me. I remembered watching the assassination of Kennedy in classes, seeing documentaries on Martin Luther King's death, but that kind of stuff happened in some other lifetime, not mine. We watched in awe as the towers separately collapsed, with a lack of  words that expressed our fear, confusion, and overwhelming sadness for everyone that was trapped inside the buildings and surrounding.

My 3rd period Algebra teacher upset me the most, how she reacted still infuriates me today. She refused to let us watch TV and insisted that there would not be any new news to happen in the 90 minutes we had class and that we ought to keep learning Algebra because the "world was still spinning" in her words. Even at 14, I knew that that day was a huge deal and not to be taken lightly. She disregarded emotions that people had for family that lived in New York. I had just found out that because my dad works at Nuclear Power Plants for the Dept of Energy, they had to evacuate. And she could have cared less.

My last class of the day was band. I have to say that I was impressed by how Mr. Gribble, our band director, handled the tragedy by asking us questions about how we were feeling and allowing us to ask questions, like "Does this mean that we're going to war?" I was at home with my band friends and that seemed like the comfort I needed to have. I do remember being shocked when they cancelled all after school activities that afternoon and for the rest of the week. We thought that surely band practice was the exception--we were supposed to practice the rotating block drill that afternoon. (You will only truly appreciate that reference if you marched that year...please excuse my band nerdiness.)

I couldn't stomach to watch the news all afternoon because it just tied my stomach in knots to think of the people in those buildings. The weeks to follow, some of my favorite clips to watch were the ones of the firemen rescuing people, heroic citizens that helped strangers, and especially the stories of people that should have been there, but due to circumstances, like sleeping in, missing the Subway, or whatever else, they weren't.

I don't have anything especially eloquent to say in this post, but by remembering what I was doing that day, it helps me to keep in check that that day was real--that that day was a normal week day until that plane was hijacked, and this tragedy happened to real people with families, and still affects our country today. There are few days that I feel particularly patriotic (don't get me wrong, I love our country...but not in the overwhelming, I want to get excited about it all the time kind of way), but every year around 9/11 and especially now a decade later, I remember the sense of camaraderie that we all felt that day and the days following. And I hope we never forget that feeling out of respect and memory of those lost.

What were you doing when the planes crashed? 

Peach Pie Problems

Daniel has been out of town for a few days (in Vegas...for a Vet Conference? Sounds fishy ;), so I came to stay with Kirby and Felicity while he was gone. Kirby and I always have a ton of fun together doing what sisters do best; talking and laughing the practically the whole time we're together.

Well the sweet sister that she is, Kirby offered to make dinner for a family and wanted to make them a homemade dessert. Growing up, I was always the one in the kitchen helping make dinner, Kirby on the other hand...not so much. So my sister's recent interest in baking and cooking is still taking some getting used to! Daniel and Kirby bought a HUGE basket full of fresh peaches from the farmer's market so she really wanted to use the peaches for a dessert she was making for this family. So peach pie it is!

Kirby peeled the peaches and mixed the pie filling together while I tried my hand at making pie crust. 

I've made several pies before, but always have wanted to make pie crust instead of using the Pillsbury right-out-of-the-box kind. The recipe called for flour, salt, shortening, and ice cold water. Well, we didn't have shortening so we figured oil was a fair alternative and after 2 failed attempts of putting water in the freezer to make it "ice cold" (in other words, I spilled chilly water all over myself and the floor...both times), we settled for really, really cold sink water. All of these mishaps are all pointing to "most delicious pie crust ever", right? ha! After some kneading and a floury mess, the crust was as ready as it would ever be. 

We filled up the pie tin with the peachy, gooey goodness (that's butter dotted on top if you can't tell...); 

 And began to cover the top with the other half of the pie crust. Ya see...it was a little bit slippery from the oil instead of shortening combo, which made it difficult to just put on top of the pie. I had success with the "lattice" top pies before, but I went with what I knew. And yes, this was a candid shot that I was trying my best to hid from.

I forgot to take a before picture, so 5 minutes into bake time, I snapped a shot from inside the oven. 

We put it in the oven for the directed 50 minutes and the top was a crust was a little soft still so we put it in for 10 more minutes. Then another 5. And another. I've lost track how many times we added time to the clock, but needless to say the baking process took much much more time than we had anticipated.
Side note: all while this was happening, Kirby managed to knock down all of her spices on her spice rack. Like a good sister, I just laughed. This whole pie baking process involved more spills and mess than usual. 

Loooong story short, after much deliberation and setting and resetting the timer, we decided the pie was done. Disclaimer: the juice from the pie filling spilled over onto the cookie sheet and burned to a crisp. It was really hard to overlook the black disaster that was surrounding our pie and just look at the pie itself, but we decided the pie on its own was "pretty enough" to give to someone else to eat, but we were still a bit doubtful. 

We let the pie cool while we were watching Make It or Break It...yes, it's that ABC Family show about gymnastics. I blame Kirby and Hulu. They got me hooked. Before we went to bed, we tried to lift the pie off of the cookie sheet. Like most everything else in our pie making process, this did not go as planned. The black, volcanic tar had now hardened and stuck to the bottom of the pie tin, which in turn made the pin tin stick to the cookie sheet. So we had to perform a bit of removal surgery...It got messy. I even broke her spatula. In my defense, it was already falling apart.

After lots of laughing and chipping away at the burned nastiness, we accomplished our mission!!

It might not be the prettiest pie there ever was (might not be that delicious either...we won't be able to tell since we're giving it to Kirby's friends), but we had fun making it. My sister has made a delicious peach pie before, so I'm sure this one will be no different...although the problems this pie caused were more than normal. My sister and I have just come to terms with that fact that whatever we're doing together is going to take twice as long as it would the normal person, but we're okay with that because we get to do it together.

And that's enough cheesy for one blog post :)

Fall is in the air...for a few days

Fall is hands down my favorite season. What's not to love about it? First and foremost it's football season and in a close second, possibly tying for 1st, is my birthday month--Yes, it takes the whole month of November to celebrate my birthday. Next, fall means that I can pull out some of my favorite articles of clothing: scarves, boots, flats, cardigans, and all the layering of clothes that come with that half of the closet...I mean really, my options are endless and who doesn't love outfit options?! What comes with fall are the little things that simply make it fall; stepping outside and feeling that crispness in the air, crunching on leaves when you walk, drinking a warm cup of apple cider or Starbucks' vanilla lattes, bonfires, Halloween!!, the possibility of camping, definitely hiking, any and everything apple and pumpkin flavored (homemade baked goods in particular!), our family's annual Rover Rally (next weekend! Can't wait!), and the list goes on and on. I know that this awesome 70-75 degree weather is just a tease because in typical Southern fashion, I am willing to bet the thermometer at least hits 90 degrees a couple more days before it plummets to not so enjoyable freezing temperatures.

But man! have I enjoyed the tease of fall as much as I could these last few days! Starbucks latte and pumpkin bread, enjoying a crisp apple, and my favorite time so far has been today in the late afternoon when I sat on Kirby's front porch while reading a book and sipping on my latte. Pure bliss. I can't wait for hours in the Tennessee and North Georgia mountains that I will get to spend hiking in the cooler weather. But right now, I'm just hoping it stays cool enough to stay comfortable at the game on Saturday!

Two Words, Two Simple Words

"Glory Glory to old Georgia.

Heroes have graced the field before you. Men with hearts, bodies and minds for which the entire Bulldog Nation can be justifiably proud.

The tradition of unbridled excellence demonstrated by these individuals and many others spans more than a full century.

And now a new breed of Bulldog stands ready to take the field of battle, to assume the reigns of the Georgia program, to continue that tradition.

Understanding that there is no tradition more worthy of envy, no institution worthy of such loyalty as The University of Georgia. As we prepare for another meeting Between the Hedges let all the Bulldog faithful rally behind the men who now wear the Red and Black with two words...two simple words that express the sentiments of the entire Bulldog Nation...

GO DAWGS!"

My love for Georgia started strong and dedicated,

although I barely knew then that I was just starting to scratch the surface of a life long obsession.

Being a Georgia fan means early mornings with your best friends;

countless upon countless pictures with sorority sisters;

and some strangers too (like creepy old men we meet at Georgia/Florida)...

getting to the stadium at least an hour early to save the best seats in the student section;

sticking by your team in gut-wrenching losses; (like when I cried when we lost to UT in 2006)

and the most memorable of wins; (read: UGA vs. Auburn BLACKOUT)

wearing red and black dresses every Saturday in the fall;

braving the cold and the rain (aka UGA vs. GT in 2008)

traveling to as many away games as your schedule can handle,

and paying way too much for tickets after you graduate from the best 4 years of your life.

But when it really comes down to it, it's about loyalty. Loyalty to the Dawgs through winning and losing. Dedication to making game day more than just a few hours in the stadium, but an all day social event. Spending thousands on tailgates, decorations for your home, more than you should on tickets, and hours upon hours of screaming at the tv, driving to and from Athens, and of course, in Sanford Stadium--getting sunburns, sore throats, and raw nerves. But every season, no matter what, I'll make sure I'm sporting my red and black, carrying a red and black koozie around a cheap watered down beer in it tucked inside my monogrammed lucky game day purse. No matter what I love my Dawgs and I cannot wait to be back between the hedges to cheer them on against South Carolina this weekend yelling GOOOOOOOO DAWGS! Sic'em!