Catchin' Up (Some More)

Read the post under this one first if you haven't already (yes, I actually posted something else). Feel free to insert a snarky comment here.

So anyway, here is the rest of my completed list:

#9 - Check (again) In my previous post I mentioned a road trip with my sister this summer, but there are two other trips that I had to mention. In October I went on a cruise with 3 other friends from church. Our cruise left out of New Orleans and we ended up going to Progreso due to a hurricane (we were supposed to go to Cozumel). We had a great time and it was a perfect break from school.

In December my best friend, Stacey, and I went on a road trip to Nashville for the weekend. We toured the Opryland Hotel and saw the Rockettes. It was a blast to get out of town for the weekend with her.

#13, 14, and 24 - DONE

I finally finished off the Growth Track at church by attending Discovery 301 (where you take a spiritual gifts assessment to determine what areas you can best serve in at the church) and Dream Team 401 (which allows you to talk with leaders from lots of different service areas at the church). I signed up to become a greeter (yes, like the friendly folks at Wal Mart) and started doing that back in the summer. It has been great to welcome other people into my church that I love and I have enjoyed meeting some new people. That covers 13, 14, and 24.

#11 - Volunteer for something new: Ongoing

Last January God really laid on my heart to become more servant minded. We live in such a "me" focused society and it is easy to become very focused on what I want and what I think I need or even deserve, but God really opened my eyes to the fact that I am called to be His servant and a servant to His people. I asked Him to begin showing me opportunities to be His hands and feet to others. Of course there have been many times where His voice has been muffled out by my selfish nature, but the times when I have really focused on where He was leading me I have been so blessed by being able to be a blessing to others.

#18 - Cooking Class: DONE and another one planned for

This summer I started looking for a cooking class I could take, but the ones I could find were either too expensive, too fancy, or too far away, so I decided that I had so many great cooks around me that I should just tap into their expertise and get them to teach me some of their recipes. I immediately thought of my friend, Jessie, who moved to Birmingham from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. She loves to cook and always talks about what she whipped up from leftovers she had in her fridge or spare ingredients in her cabinet, so I asked her to plan out an authentic Cajun menu and send me a grocery list. I got the ingredients and she came over to give me a lesson. My friend, Myra was also in on the lesson. We made BBQ shrimp po'boys and bananas foster. Both were very simple and delicious. After our class Jessie bought me a Groupon for a cooking class that we are going to together soon. I will update you on how it goes afterward!

#29 - Visit Nathan in Colorado - DONE

In November, Mom and I went out to Denver to visit Nathan. We were there from a Wednesday night until early Monday morning. We had a great trip! It was so neat to see where he has been living and get to see some amazing mountain scenery. We laughed a whole lot, admired the gorgeous views, visited the Coors brewery (Mom's favorite part of the trip), relaxed, and enjoyed spending some great time together.

Now, I just have to find a time to get back out there so I can check #22 off my list (skiing).

Catchin' Up

So I looked back over "The List" today to see what all I had and had not checked off this year. I was going to blog about several more things that I actually did do, but I realized that pretty much everyone who reads my blog (or still reads it now that I have fallen off the blogosphere) already knows about all of these things, so I am going to write a short summary here of what all I have been up to:

8, 9, 25, and 26 - DONE: This summer I went on a trip with my sister. She planned the whole thing and every bit of it was a surprise (which if you know me then you know how much I love to have a plan and be in control, so it was quite amazing that I did not plan one single thing for this). I rode out to Texas with Ashley and her family (yes, you read correctly... rode, like in a car, not a plane, to Texas) and we spent a few days with my brother-in-law's family in Waco. Before we headed off on our road trip we crossed #26 off my list by going to a flea market.

Next, we headed off on a road trip to Fredericksburg and Austin (#9 - DONE). We visited several wineries (#8- DONE), ate great food, stayed in an awesome bed and breakfast, shopped, laughed lots, and simply enjoyed undivided time together.

We ended our trip in Austin where we had some great BBQ, drove through the University of Texas campus (#26 - DONE), and made a pit stop at the Friday Night Lights set before I caught my flight back to Birmingham. It was such a sweet time with my sister and so fun to check some things off my list with her!

Okay, change of plans... Blogspot can sometimes be a little hornery, so instead of getting halfway through this post and having it magically disappear and me scream ugly words I am going to save this one and then start another.

Blessed (#7 - Check)

One of my goals this year was to invest time in new friendships. Little did I know how blessed I would be by new friends (and old friends). In February, my friend Lauren and I decided to lead a small group that would meet every Friday night. The purpose of our group was to meet more people from church and just provide an opportunity for everyone to hang out each week. Since that group started I have made some amazing new friends that have challenged and encouraged me in my relationship with God. When we started this group, I had no idea how blessed I would be with new church friends. Even though our group only lasted through May, we all still hang out and I am constantly encouraged by these amazing people.

I also had no idea that when I made this goal for myself, God would also provide the opportunity for me to invest time in some old friends as well. My best friend that I have known since I was about 11 was hit with a devastating blow in May when she found out that her husband of 7 years (who was also one of my closest friends) had been having an affair. Needless to say, I was shocked and devastated to learn about this. But, with an incredible amount of dignity and strength my amazing friend faced this with the most admirable attitude. I am so thankful that I live close by and was able to be there with her and her precious little boy over the past 4 months. She has no idea how much I have learned from her. Her faith has been strengthened and she has whole-heartedly rested in the arms of our Savior. She started a blog when everything first happened and she was able to verbalize what she was feeling and thinking, but at the end of each post she was able to bring it back to what God was teaching and showing her in all of this. One of our other childhood friends (who has experienced her own share of "awful") said it best when she told Stacey that this was just a sad chapter in a beautiful story. Today is Stacey's 30th birthday and I am celebrating what an amazing friend, sister, mother, teacher, and daughter she is. She has faced the single-most painful experience of her life and she has grown stronger as a person and as a Christian because of it. She now has a new job teaching kindergarten, a great new home with her son, and some much needed distance from this "sad chapter".

God is so faithful in providing for us and answering our prayers. When I started praying for our small group in January and asking God to bring new friends into my life, I had no idea that not only would he provide those amazing people, but He would also strengthen a 20 year bond with a lifelong friend. "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy." - Philippians 1:3-4

Update on THE List

Earlier this year I mentioned my list that I created of things I wanted to do before my BIG 30th birthday in August. Well, here is the update on what I actually checked off my list:

1. Shoot a Gun
2. Skydive
3. Run a 5K - DONE (well, sort of)
4. Auburn Reunion with college friends - DONE
5. Concerts - DONE
6. Read Little Women - Tried to, but couldn't get through the first chapter
7. Invest time in new friendships - DONE and soooo blessed
8. Visit a Winery - DONE
9. Road Trip - DONE
10. 5 Random Acts of Kindness
11. Volunteer for something new - DONE
12. Art - DONE
13. Church 301 - DONE
14. Church 401 - DONE
15. Camping
16. Get a massage - DONE
17. Sewing
18. Cooking Class - DONE
19. Zip Line
20. Scuba Dive
21. Get a Passport
22. Ski (Water or Snow)
23. Watch the Sun Rise
24. Be a Greeter at church - DONE
25. Visit a Flea Market - DONE
26. Visit a New College Town/Stadium - DONE
27. Ride a Motorcycle
28. New Floor in my Kitchen
29. Visit Nathan in Colorado
30. Movies
    o Citizen Kane
    o The Godfather - DONE
    o Casablanca - DONE
    o Ghost
    o Gone with the Wind
    o Psycho - DONE
    o Thelma and Louise - DONE
    o American Graffitti
    o Raiders of the Lost Ark
    o Breakfast at Tiffany's - DONE
    o One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - DONE
    o The Graduate - DONE
    o Little Women
    o Doubt - DONE
    o A Few Good Men - DONE

Fun, FUN, FuN!

I got back from camp on Saturday, and then headed to the beach with Ashley, Robert, Carson, and Maggie on Thursday. We were in Destin through the following Tuesday. It was great to play with the girls, relax (lots of afternoon naps), and spend some time with my sister. This is a picture of Ashley and Carson playing in the waves. Carson loved the ocean! Maggie preferred to eat the sand. We got back from the beach Tuesday afternoon, washed clothes, and re-packed to head over to Atlanta. We were in Birmingham Tuesday night and then headed over to Atlanta Wednesday. For Ashley's birthday I got us tickets to the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys concert. We giggled like little girls the entire night and had so much fun reliving our previous obsession with boy bands. At one point a now 40 year old Donnie Wahlberg ripped off his wife-beater to reveal a chiseled six-pack. Ashley was yelling, "I cannot take you seriously. Aren't you on Law and Order now???" I may or may not have been yelling "Take it off!!! You've got the right stuff, baby!!!" Next, we got ready to celebrate our close family friend's wedding. You have heard me mention this sweet family several times. They are my 'nother family that lives in Marietta, Georgia. Their son, Perry, will be starting his second year at Samford in a few weeks. He is a cancer survivor and amazing young man! Bonne graduated from the University of Georgia and has grown into an incredible Godly woman. I have grown up with this family and remember beach trips, Auburn games, and lots of laughs. Bonne's husband is as fabulous as she is and we had so much fun celebrating all weekend with them. Carson was a flower girl and she was very excited to be in Bonne's weddin'. The entire weekend was gorgeous and so special. We went to her Bridesmaids' Luncheon on Friday, the rehearsal dinner that night, and then the wedding was Saturday night. I loved being at the rehearsal dinner and hearing all of the stories about Bonne and Kyle and what great friends they have been to others. Everyone had beautiful things to say about each ot them. The wedding was outdoors and straight out of Southern Living. Bonne was a stunning bride. It was very special to be a part of her wedding day! I am so very thankful for this family and their friendship!

Camp Smile-A-Mile

School got out, my parents moved in, and then summer started and I hit the ground running. I had a week at home and then headed back to Camp Smile-A-Mile June 5 - 11. I had the same camper again this summer and was amazed at how much she has grown over the past year. We had a great time and, as always, I had a perspective adjustment. How can you not focus on all you have to be thankful for when you are surrounded by CHILDREN who are battling cancer? The week consisted of swimming, dancing, cooking, archery, paintball, basketball, snorkeling, make-overs, and a visit from Aubie and some Auburn football players. The kids had an amazing week and I am blessed to have been a part of it! The above picture is my camper, Darby, and me before the Superhero Dance. I was "SuperCam" and she was "Super Darby".

The House That Built Me

Yes, I do realize that I have not really picked back up my blog as promised and I am going to try and do better. Let me fill you in on what all has been going on. Hmmm... where to begin. Okay, so my last post was about the two 5k's I did in the spring. After that May continued to speed up with Mother's Day, birthdays, dance recitals, end of school year chaos, and helping my parents pack up and move out of their house. To say that May was hectic and exhausting is an understatement.

While trying to get everything wrapped up at school I was also trying to help my parents as much as possible. This was the house I grew up in here in Birmingham. My parents had been there for 20 years. That is 20 years worth of a whole lotta stuff to sort through, throw out, donate, box up, sell, reminisce over, laugh about, etc. Lots of blood, sweat, and tears went into that move (literally). What they kept went into storage and they moved in with me. Interestingly enough we have decided that I actually saw them more when they didn't live with me. (The summer has not slowed down at all.) Oddly enough, after being on the market for over a year, their house ended up selling to one of my childhood friend's brother and his family. I loved that house and the years and years of great memories I have from it. I hope that they will love it as much as we did and have just as many wonderful memories there.

Here are some of my favorite memories from 2616 Southminster Road:
- Family dinner on Sunday nights around the kitchen table
- The freezing swimming pool and the Bobcat that finally dug it up and filled it in :(
- Crowding in the den to watch Auburn football games in the fall
- The hard work that dad put into the yard each year and the way everything looked when it bloomed in the spring.
- Coming home from college on the weekends and looking forward to being in "my bed"
- Standing at the top of the stairs, hidden from view, and asking Ashley if I could borrow her shirt that I already had on
- Spend the night parties with friends
- "The Blizzard of '96" and being stuck inside for days

There were lots of memories throughout that house, but there are so many more memories to create in the years ahead. People asked me if I was sad about my parents selling their house. Honestly, I never really was. Maybe because I have my own home now or maybe because by the time it was all said and done I was exhausted, but I am thankful for my family that I love and know that we will continue to make lots of new memories no matter where "home" is.

See Merty Run (#3 - Check)

Ok... I'm back. As you all know, one of the things on my list this year was to run a 5K. In January I started doing the "Couch to 5K" running program. I feel as though I did make it off the couch, but not quite to the 5K (seeing as Karli promised I would be able to run 3 miles after my 9 week program with her). My sister and I did a 5K together in April. She found one for us to do together in Auburn on April 16. My 5K was more of a fast-paced walk/burst out in a run for a few minutes at a time. I finished in 42:45. The key words there were "I finished." We had a great time doing this together and it was quite the accomplishment. Now, on my list I said "run a 5K" (my sister kindly pointed out that I kind of screwed myself on the wording), but I am counting this anyway! After finishing the first 5K I (stupidly) thought, "Oh, let's do that again!" and so I signed up for another one. So, on May 14 I did the Zoo Run in Birmingham with my friend, Julie. I think I ran approximately one time between these 2 races, so I was pretty nervous about walking/running again. But, I actually ended up doing better and finished in 40:34.

Yes, I am still alive

I do still have a blog. I have not updated this blog in two months. I apologize for the lack of updates, but I have been just a little busy. I have lots to catch you up on. Over these past two months I...
1. ran my first (and second) 5K
2. ended my fifth year of teaching
3. helped my parents move out of their house
4. volunteered again at Camp Smile a Mile
5. fell off the weight loss bandwagon, climbed back on, and then fell off again

I promise to post pictures and stories about each of these things over the next several days. Hope you are all enjoying your summer and staying cool!

Am I Missing Something?

I have heard that the junk email you receive is supposed to appeal to you based on the websites you visit, topics you research on Google, etc.

Here are some of the emails I received today:
Asian Singles
Wigs
Bras
Bathroom Remodeling
Horoscopes
Hybrid Car
Olive Garden Rewards

Hmmmm... Am I missing something? Okay, the bras I can kind of understand as I have recently been on the (torturous) hunt for a sports bra. And if you know me at all then the Olive Garden one is understandable. But unless I am planning on shaving my head a la Britney and then taking my Asian boyfriend for a ride in my Smart Car, then I am at a loss.

Proud

My sister is awesome for so many different reasons, but one recent reason she is awesome is because she completed her first 5K last Saturday. I started this whole Couch to 5K thing and got her to do it, too. She works... and has two kids... and she stuck with this thing and found time 3 days a week to go for her runs when she had all kinds of excuses to get out of doing it. Last Saturday she RAN (not walked, not walked/ran a little) in the Rumpshaker here in Birmingham. This is a 5K that raises money for colon cancer research. There were tons of people there and I was so excited to pick her up and take her down to Sloss Furnace where the race was. Robert brought the girls and my parents came with our good friends the Beasleys, so we were all there at the finish line to cheer for her. She finished in 33:54, which is about an 11 minute mile, which is awesome! I am so stinkin' proud of her and so glad that I got to be there to cheer her on.

#12 - Check

Another thing I wanted to do more of this year is artsy projects. I see things all the time and think to myself, "I could do that (for way cheaper)." Over spring break, I spent a few days with my sweet friend, Myra. We had a staycation where we went to lots of stores in and around Birmingham and just enjoyed spending time together away from school. One of the stores we went to had lots of cute "burlees", which are decorative painted burlap shapes. At one particular store they had crosses, Easter eggs, and Easter bunnies. The large ones there were $40. Of course I immediately told Myra, "We could so do that."... And so we did! We decided to start off with the Easter egg since it was the easiest shape to do. We went to Hobby Lobby to buy burlap and paint. We made a template on poster board and then Myra cut out our eggs and spray painted them to stiffen up the fabric. Last Saturday we got together at her house to put them together. First we drew our design on with pencil. Next we painted them and wrote our words on with a black Sharpie. Then we filled them with plastic grocery bags to add some dimension and hot glued the front and back together. Last we added ribbon to the top so we could hang them on our front door. This was super easy and we each ended up paying around $8. Here is our finished product:

Running Update

I just went to run outside. I hated running outside. I don't like to get that hot. I don't like the way my shins were sending messages to my brain like "Stop running you big dummy. This is way too much pressure for us. We are not ready for this type of physical exertion." How were my shins sending these messages you ask. Simple... by burning with the fire of Hades. How is it possible that I can run for 25 minutes on a treadmill (and by "run" I do mean extremely slow jogging, almost walking) and barely run 1 minute in my neighborhood?

Here are some of the other questions that were going through my mind while I was on my "run":
1. Did I say "run a 5K" on my list? Pretty sure I meant "participate in a 5K... by cheering on others".
2. Could I "run a 5K" at the same time as everyone else, but on a treadmill?
3. If it is this hot in mid-march, will it be in the 200's by July?
4. Why is that man staring at me with such a confused look? Did I just sing Flo'Rida out loud? I thought I was discreetly lipsynching.
5. Would it be awkard if I ran through those people's sprinkler?
6. Can I stop now?

The thing that is really intriguing to me about this whole running deal is that I tend to be a quitter, but I am committed to this for some reason. Usually when something gets hard or uncomfortable or challenging or makes me sweat I don't hesitate to drop it and move on without looking back, but with this all of those things tend to frustrate me and kind of tick me off, which makes me that much more determined to do this even if I don't actually check this off my list until my 40th birthday. Even if I move slower than an 82 year old woman and my shorts are too tight and I sweat more than humanly possible... I am exercising, and that is satisfying!

The Black Hole of Blogs

I have never been an avid blog follower, other than those of my own friends, but over the past few days I have been sucked into a never ending black hole known as the world of "craft" blogs. I stumbled upon Someday Crafts first, which I absolutely LOVE. Everything on this site is so cute, but the site basically displays ideas from other sites, so you end up clicking on something you like only to end up on another blog. You read along for a little while and click on another idea that is linked to another site and then the next thing you know it is 6 hours later and you have 73 pages opened at the bottom of the screen. Here are a few of the ones I really like, but consider yourself forewarned before you start clicking... unless you have time to waste, don't get sucked in!
Someday Crafts
Tatertots and Jello
Flamingo Toes
Southern Hospitality

#4 - Check (War Eagle!)

I LOVE Auburn (as if you didn't know that already) and there are many reasons why. I have sooooo many great memories in Auburn that started when I was a little girl. Every Saturday in the fall our family would pack up the Astro Van and head to Auburn for gameday. I can remember countless tailgates in front of Funchess Hall. Years later I ended up being a student and experienced "The Loveliest Village on the Plains" in a whole new way. The absolute best year I had as a student at Auburn was 2002 - 2003 when I lived with 4 amazing girls in a fabulous house on Gay Street. I still have days where I would totally move back to that house again if I could. Since we all graduated and moved off to other cities, started families, etc. we don't get to see each other as often as I would like, which is why I decided that #4 on my list this year would have to be a reunion with some of these great Auburn friends. A few girls were unable to make it, but it was still great to visit with Katie, Mary Laura, Sara, and Traci. Last Saturday we met at Sara's house in Montgomery for lunch. We got to catch up and play with everyone's kids. It was so good to hear what has been going on with each of them.

This is us together at Sara's (From left: Mary Laura, Traci and her little girl Amelia, Katie and her little boy Chase, Sara with Dawson, Davis, and Baby Kate who will be here in June, and me).

After lunch, Mary Laura and I headed to Auburn for the afternoon. We got into town and made a quick pitstop to tour our old house (thanks Whitney for letting us walk through). Then we made our way to Toomer's Corner to see how the trees were doing (still standing strong for now). We walked around downtown, browsed some shops, and sipped on Toomer's lemonade. Then we headed to dinner at one of my all time favorite places... Niffer's (Home of the used to be $1, but now $1.50 beer and the best homemade chips and Mexicali dip). I spent the night with ML at her family's lake house and then headed back home on Sunday. It was a great weekend with old friends and a special way to start my Spring Break.

#5 - One Check

Another thing on my list is going to concerts. The first one I have been to this year was on Tuesday, March 8 here in Birmingham. I am a HUGE fan of Hillsong, especially since we sing lots of their songs at church, so when I heard they were coming to Birmingham I was super excited. I have never been to a concert like this before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was blown away and blessed by such an amazing worship experience. The atmosphere was incredible as I stood among thousands of other people who shared one common goal... to worship our Savior.

I was thrilled to share this awesome night with my sweet friend, Lauren, who loves Hillsong like I do!

#30 (Movies) 4/15 - Check

As part of my list I chose 15 movies to watch this year that I have never seen. I have now seen 4 of them, and I thought you might like to hear my reviews.
1) First up was Psycho. I got the old one from the library, but apparently there is a large DVD theft problem in Shelby County, so I was disappointed when I got home only to find out that the DVD was boobie trapped into the case. I guess I was supposed to have them remove this piece, but I didn't know that, so my friend Lauren and I ended up finding the newer version on one of her movie channels. If you have not seen the 1998 version, DON'T unless you are looking for a good laugh. The famous crazed son who runs the Bates Motel is played by Vince Vaughn (yes, the same guy who starred in Wedding Crashers). Pretty sure when they remade this classic they weren't aiming for the audience to burst into fits of giggles throughout the movie. Needless to say, I give this one an F-.
2) The next one I chose was Breakfast at Tiffany's. I give this a C+. Now let me say in the movie's defense that I sat down to watch this with Lauren on a Sunday afternoon when there was a forecasted blizzard in our area, which if you know anything about Alabama means we were all in a state of panic. I was frantically checking the weather updates and our school's website to see if we would be closed on Monday. Needless to say, I wasn't giving Audrey the attention she deserved. But, the movie was nothing at all like I expceted. It was a little quirky and just plain odd.
3) Next, I watched Doubt, which is the only current movie on my list. This one came out in the past couple of years and won several awards. I give it a B-. It was pretty interesting and really makes you think about how one tiny seed of doubt can flourish in your mind until you are convinced that your assumptions are truth.
4) The last one I have seen so far is The Godfather, and I must say it is by far my favorite so far! I loved this one and want to see the rest of the trilogy now. I was interested in the plot and loved seeing so many actors from their younger days. I give this one an A+.

Team M

I am on a team at school with three other teachers whose names start with "M" (Melinda, Michelle, and Myra), so we have named ourselves "Team M". I LOVE these sweet friends and am so thankful to spend each school day with them. We laugh, vent, sometimes cry (right, Michelle?), encourage, help, hug, high five, etc. throughout the day. An indication that you love your co-workers is when you want to hang out with them away from your job, which the four of us try to do once a month. They are each older than me with families that I love hearing stories about, and I do my best to keep them young and hip by discussing YouTube videos, the woes of dating, and what Justin Bieber is currently trying out with his hair.

All three of them have done the Couch to 5K this past year. Michelle and Melinda are closer to my running level than Myra who basically bolted off the couch and was running 3 miles within a few short weeks. Michelle and Melinda jumped on this ever-growing bandwagon last fall when they were asked to join a relay team for the Mercedes Marathon (actually I think Michelle agreed to do it and then suckered Melinda into joining her). I think I was also approached about joining a relay team. I later apologized for laughing in that person's face. Of course a few months later I decided to give it a go and I have been so encouraged by my team. I will be starting week 7 out of 9 tomorrow and will be doing my first 5K in Auburn in April.

February 12 - 13 was Mercedes Marathon weekend here in Birmingham, and I was so excited to cheer on my sweet friends. Myra did the 5K on Saturday morning and she finished in 34:22. Then on Sunday morning, Michelle and Melinda ran one of the 5K legs on their relay teams and finished together.

I am so proud of Team M and I can't wait to do a 5K with them soon!

#1 - Check (Well, sort of)

A week ago my younger brother from another mother, Perry, told me that he had a surprise for me this week. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but would only say he was going to take me somewhere to cross something off my list. So after meticulously looking over my list I met up with him this past Thursday to go on this adventure. We had dinner and then headed off to... The Bass Pro Shop. It took me a while to figure out where we were headed. When I figured out where we were going, I was quickly able to narrow down my list, as I was pretty sure we would not be doing a cooking class or reading Little Women while there. I figured it had something to do with #1 on my list (shoot a gun), but I wasn't quite sure. After hiking up to the second floor of this ginormous store, we rounded the corner to see...I was so excited to see what Perry had planned out! He gave me some quarters for the arcade style game where you aim for the glowing targets and fire away. Not quite the same as holding a real gun, but so fun (and less dangerous considering how awful my aim was). We had a great time together and I loved that he thought of this and wanted to share in marking something off my list. For those of you that don't know, this is the same amazing young man that I have often mentioned over the past year. It was about a year ago when Perry got some life-changing news and as I spent this time together with him the other night I couldn't help but think of how incredible his story is and how proud I am of him. He is about to finish up his first year at Samford University and looking forward to playing on the football team this coming fall. He is cancer-free, healthy, happy, and loving college, which is exactly how life should be for him right now!

#16 - Check

So #16 on my list was to get a massage, which I did last weekend. Anything that requires me to strip down to my skivvies is obviously going to provide a funny story. I have never had a massage before, so I was rapid fire quizzing my friend, Lauren on our way there on how this whole thing works. We got to the place and filled out paperwork and then waited for our massage therapists to come get us. When my dude walked out all I could think was "Please be Lauren's, Please be Lauren's" seeing as I was a little uncomfortable with this total stranger dude greasing me up. Well, of course he walked up and mumbled my name (which makes me think he was probably thinking "Please don't be Meredith, Please don't be Meredith") He seemed about as excited about working on this big girl as I was to have him workin on this big girl. Oh well, let's get to this, Rob. He leads me into what appears to be a haunted house. It is a giant, dark room that is separated into little sections by hospital curtains. He pulls back the curtain to his table and tells me to get undressed and put my clothes in the (Saved By the Bell) locker. I am pretty sure I was out of my clothes and under the sheet in approximately 7 seconds. I didn't want to risk Rob coming back and seeing a little more than he bargained for. I know the whole reason you get a massage is to relax, but I was laying stiff as a board with the sheet practically over my head when he whispered at the door (curtain) "Meredith, you ready?" I wanted to tell him, "Um, the question is are you, Rob?", but I just mumbled "Mmmhmm". So he came in and got down to business. I figured it was dark enough that he was shielded from the blinding white of my skin. For the first 30 minutes I was anxiously anticipating "the flip". I wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to go from face-down to face-up without something flopping out, but it was successful and everything ended up just fine in the end. I am pretty sure I was in a mild catatonic stupor for at least an hour following my massage, so I guess I was able to relax after all. I would totally do it again.

The Mind of a 5th Grader

Here are two things that have made me laugh lately:
1. This past week I was doing a lesson with my class where we were reading about the Liberty Bell. If you are gearing this paragraph towards 10/11 year olds, please do not start off by saying "The Liberty Bell is known for its big crack." And also please do not continue to refer to "its big crack".
2. For our vocabulary test last week some very innocent or very perverted person included the following question: "Name a body part that protrudes and explain why." Pretty sure most of thsoe 10/11 year old boys were not thinking of their nose.

Happy Birthday, Church of the Highlands!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Church of the Highlands, Happy Birthday to You!

Ten years ago this amazing church was launched and I am so thankful for all of the ways God has poured out His blessings on this church. In celebration of Highlands 10th Birthday I will tell you the top then things I love most about my church.

1. My church is life-giving. Experiencing worship at Highlands is incredible because you can literally feel the presence of the Lord so strongly. When people ask me about my church I usually start out by telling them that it is "alive."

2. My church has strengthened and challenged my faith through the messages.

3. My church has inspired me to do great things for God's kingdom through service.

4. My church has introduced me to some amazing new friends through small groups.

5. My church is fun! This church makes God accessible to anyone and everyone.

6. My church is home. I was fortunate enough to be raised in some wonderful churches and youth groups. When I went to college I struggled to find that "connection", but I have found a home at Highlands.

7. My church is focused on serving and worshipping God, not on judging others or scaring them into following Jesus.

8. My church is full of smiling faces and encouraging people. I feel so excited and refreshed when I step foot in the door.

9. My church is real and transparent. Pastor Chris is honest and authentic in his messages. He talks about his own struggles, his family, and things he is seeking the Lord in prayer for.

10. My church makes sure to give God all the glory for everything He has blessed us with over the past 10 years. "To God be the glory, great things He has done."

I am so thankful to be a part of this incredible church and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us over the next 10 years!

The Weight Update

Well, I am back on track with Weight Watchers and I am doing their new PointsPlus system. I joined online last week and have been religiously tracking my points. I have lost some, but I am not sure if it is really the best plan quite yet. The focus is now on low-carb choices. You no longer use calories in calculating points. The new system is based on fat, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. My main issues thus far are the fact that I get 40 points a day. Yes, 40. On the old plan I got 26. Certain foods have increased in points, so I am sure it all evens out in the end, but it seems like way too many points to be losing weight. I am also mad that wine has gone from 2 points per serving (they say 4 oz., which is like a gulp) to 4 points per serving. Anyway, not sure if that makes me an alchy or not, but it seems a little excessive points-wise.

I will be starting Week 4 of the Couch to 5K plan tomorrow, and so far I LOVE it! I never ever thought I would say that, but I have really enjoyed it. The podcasts from www.runningintoshape.com make it fun and easy to follow. They are so fun I have actually had to fight the urge to sing out loud, clap, or smack my butt on certain songs. I also have found myself giggling when I realize that I have started strutting on the treadmill when Britney Spears "Gimme More" comes on the playlist. Within the first week or so my knees were really hurting, but they have gotten better. So all in all, things are going well.

God is in the details

I have heard people say this before.... that God is in all the details of our lives, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant. I feel like God has really opened my eyes to this lately by making these moments unexplainable other than the fact that He truly is in all the details.

I was reminded of this last Tuesday morning. Two weeks ago I decided to go ahead and take the day off on Tuesday because I knew I would be up late watching the BCS National Championship game Monday night, and my mom was going to be keeping my two nieces on Tuesday because my sister was still going to be in Arizona, so I wanted to spend time with them. We ended up being out of school on Monday because of snow and ice, so I considered cancelling my sub for Tuesday, but decided not to later Monday. Robert (my brother in law) had planned to keep the girls Tuesday after all, so I was going to hang out with them and mom was going to go into work. Well, early Tuesday my mom came in to wake me up and let me know that my dad had been in a car accident on his way to Atlanta.

The details:

• I was there, so all I had to do was throw on some jeans and a t-shirt and I was able to ride with mom to the hospital in Anniston where dad was. We left about 15 minutes after she woke me up.
• Robert was there to take care of the girls, so that wasn't an issue.
• The car dad hit had hit a retaining wall on the interstate and spun out. It was horizontally covering the middle lane. When dad hit the driver's side, the driver had just gotten out of the car to check on the damage. Had he been in his car he would have been critically injured. Both cars were totaled.
• Dad called mom complaining of chest pains, so we were expecting the worst. Thankfully we were able to leave about 15 minutes after we got to the hospital because he had only suffered some bruising. They were able to give him something for the pain and discharge him.

I have no doubt that my God was in the details that morning. He provided protection for what could have been a horrible situation and for that I am beyond thankful!

It's Great To Be A... National Champion

Well folks... we did it! We finished the season perfect, undefeated, and unbelievable. Here is the 2010 season of the Auburn Tigers by the numbers:

108 - The combined score of the Auburn vs. Arkansas game (highest combined score in SEC history)
72 - Number of times I told my sister I was bitter that she was going to Glendale, Arizona for the National Championship game without me
'57 - The last year Auburn won the National Championship
24 - The greatest point deficit we came back from (against Alabama no less)
22 - The number we started the season ranked as
16 - The number of pounds I gained during football season
14 - The number of games we won this season
4 - The number of games we won this season thanks to our field goal kicker, Wes Byrum
2 - The number of our CAMazing quarterback AND the number of years Gene Chizik has been head coach at Auburn University
1 - Our rank at the end of the year

War Eagle! It's great to be a National Championship Auburn Tiger!

Rivalry

I had someone tell me that my previous post towards Alabama fans was a bit intense. Here is a profile picture I saw on facebook earlier. Yes, that is the Alabama emblem... in Oregon's colors... who Auburn will play a week from today for the national championship. I also saw a kid at school today (that is a huge Alabama fan) wearing an Oregon sweatshirt, which his Bama fan parents obviously spent $45.50 on in order to make a statement of "We hate Auburn enough to search on Google for an Oregon sweatshirt." I didn't make comments about what tacky fans Bammers are (this time) because this time last year I was probably making status updates about "Hook 'em Horns" and looking for a Texas t-shirt myself. (For those of you that know nothing about SEC football it is quite possible that 97% of this post went right over your head.)

New

I love new things... new clothes, new friends, new experiences, etc. so over the past few years I have really grown to love January as the start of a new year. It is an opportunity to learn from the past, correct mistakes, try new things, and resolve to do everything bigger and better in the upcoming year. I have been creating a list of all of the things I want to do before I turn 30 in August (that I will share in a later post) and I am excited about the possibility of doing some of these new things this year. I have also been looking at scripture that uses the word "new". Here are a few of my favorites:

"Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things." - Psalm 98:1

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

My prayer for you is that you will strive to make 2011 your best year yet by seeking God's guidance as we begin this new year. What can you do differently this year? What can you do better? Happy NEW Year!

And, just in case you were wondering, I used the word "new" 16 times in this post.

Let's Do This!

I have been thinking about doing Couch to 5k for a while and today I finally bit the bullet and committed to give it a go by buying me a pair of running shoes. Above is a picture of my new kicks. I am going to the YMCA with my friend Myra (who is also going to do Couch to 5k) after school tomorrow to start Day 1 of Week 1 of the 9 week plan. Let's do this!