I have the best friends.

Period. End of story.

Simply. The. Best.

{and not just because of what I'm about to show you}

so allow me to blubber on a bit about how fantastic! brilliant! clever! they are.

These gems were waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs today.

Let's back it up so you get the full effect.Yesterday was a really rough day for me. Lonely, yes. Far away from anything familiar, yes. This isn't what I had in mind to be doing after graduation, yes. You name it. It was there in all of its yucky, ickiness.

And then today. Oh, today.

Post- TK Maxx (European TJ Maxx) and Costco run with my neighbor, I come back to open this mysterious package with Laura's return address. Contents read: 2 CDs, 8 Letters. Interesting.

I open it up, along with my Diet Coke. And I'm sorry y'all but the tears just came. If I didn't think I would bore you to death with it all, I would tell you every little thing that was in that package, every little written word, that whether they realized it or not when they wrote these in October, spoke so deeply to my heart that I put my head in my hands and was simply so grateful.

{excerpts}

Jesus I am resting resting in the joy of what thou art, I am finding out the greatness of they loving heart.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Joey: It's all London, baby! Here we go.

Chandler: You got your passport?

Joey:Yeah, in my third drawer in my dresser. You don't want to lose that.

(friends)

Ryan:I don't think you understand jeopardy

Michael: Oh right, sorry. What is, we're fine.

(office)

And so much more. Pictures, seeds, CDs, and the kindest, most comforting words from the most familiar handwritings, signed from my wonderful friends.

Y'all. I am so overwhelmed with your thoughtfulness and kindness. The timing of this amazing gift could not have been any better. It really couldn't have. Thank you Laura for organizing this. Thank you to everyone for taking time to write me, send pictures, updates on life, funny quotes, and just sweet encouragement and love from across the pond. I will read, and re-read these letters over and over again.

[insert cheesy quote about friends that we wrote across our binders in 7th grade]

Y'all mean more to me than you can possibly know. I love you all so much. I am so thankful that I was at Wake Forest because had my life not changed so dramatically, I would never have become so close to all of you. There aren't adequate words to express my feelings and thankfulness for y'all.

other than...

He is so good.

xoxoxo, from across the pond.

Showers and Friends

This weekend (and week for W. and me) we had a great time in B'ham. From shopping to being with family to throwing a kitchen and tool shower, the time spent there was really special. We are really lucky to have such great friends from home, and it was so fun to throw this shower together and see one another again. We also had lunch with our friend Carly's mom and sister which was also just a really special time that meant a lot to all of us.

(Taking MF's lead here are a couple of older pictures of us.)





At the end of the weekend, my little family felt very lucky and blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who love us so well.

nashville

while we are on the subject of cities, yet another stop on my summer travel circuit was the fabulous city of nashville to reunite with precious friends from wake. (the 2 months we had been apart was too much).

first of all, the friends were amazing and wonderful and i love it that we can just start back where we left off.

second of all, i love nashville. like maybe my 2nd favorite city in the southeast (to b'ham, obviously, and with winston in a close 3rd)



what is not to love about a city with a building that looks like batman?

so, let's run a few highlights from this eventful weekend. thanks for the pics, carrie!

we went to a beautiful park, percy warner perhaps? where we hiked, i mean walked, a nice little trail. we looked like the girls in madeline walking in two straight lines.



we saw the parthenon (exact replica, built in 1896, i believe, which blew us all away)


we went to some classy bars like: tootsie's (dance on stage, check), paradise park (mingle with bachelor party of 30 year olds, watch married man in party almost swallow wedding ring, chastise him for said action, then be asked if i am preggo, big check), and finally lonnies (watch funny karaoke, be harassed by bartender to order drinks, and watch twins try to sing rascal flatts butchering it so much that it sounded more nasally and twangy that rascal flatts themselves, ew, check again)




i'm sorry, are you as hung up on what that guy asked me as i was? let me repeat it, "what is going on down there, pointing to my stomach?" this is after i said "i've been married almost 4 years and i have a 3 year old" hoping to shock the guy just a bit.
i indignantly replied nothing and he proceeded to tell me he has a baby due in october (good for you, you should be taking care of her instead of hitting on us at a bar) which i think he was trying to recover with. i didn't let him off the hook, and proceeded to tell him that you NEVER ask a woman that. EVER.

(clause: for those saying, well if he thinks you look like you are pregnant, then maybe you need to suck it in or slim it down, i agree whole-heartedly. i don't want to appear that i don't know why he would ask that...that being said, the issue is in the process of being taken care of thanks to a lack of sweets, chips, and foods that are too many points on WW. :-). i think i will blame it on the delicious meals and desserts at MH Ranch! haha)

dear men- out- there- who- haven't- got- a- clue,

unless it is totally obvious that she is pregnant (as in she is 8 or 9 months and there is no mistaking it), she has told you she is pregnant, or you are at a function celebrating the upcoming birth of the baby she is so obviously carrying, DON'T SAY ANYTHING. if you feel you must, just go ahead and start bringing your foot up towards your mouth. we will let you know if we are pregnant by shouting it on the rooftops, but don't take it on your self to become a sleuth and determine prematurely who has a baby in their belly and who does not. it won't turn out in your favor.

sincerely,
all- women- who- are- not- pregnant- and- don't- want- to- be- told-they- look- like- they-are.

now that my rant is complete. the weekend was unseasonably cool for the south which felt so good. (70's and we are freezing in the south during the summer).

on sunday, we attended christ presbyterian church with maddie and her dad, and we heard some fabulous music and an even better sermon about worry which really hits home with me. (It was on I Peter 5:1-11 "Leading and Living Humbly on the Way to Glory" by Dr. Niel Nielson. Check out the link and you can listen or download!)
Of course, i promptly began worrying and being anxious, oh about 5 minutes after leaving that church, but thankfully, as the song, Before the Throne, says (and that maddie wrote about in her blog):

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

now, there is some encouragement for this worrier and despair-er. thanks be to Him for loving me despite me and thanks be to Him for the most wonderful group of girl friends. amen.

Flashback Friday: Beach

I decided I would do My Tiny Kingdom's Flashback Friday.

Here it is:


Rollerderbys, bathing in the floats naked, fashion shows from the balcony, our moms drinking beer, bloody marys, anything with alcohol in it while listening to the oldies station on the radio (i think it was called the rose?), gigantic roaches jumping on Will, Spice Girls, and goodness knows what else...all memories from my days at the beach as a child.

There are not many pictures, aside from Wiley/Wil pictures, that I love more than this one. Taken goodness knows when (I think we look like we might have been lower elementary, 6/7/8 ish years old among us, except Beau), it is my childhood in a nutshell. I stole, I mean borrowed it, from my mom last time I was home.

This was taken at Lucy's grandparent's beach house in Seagrove...the Strandhausel (spelling?). I love that we are wearing Umbros, tshirts, and Tevas. It also includes this stray dog that we took care of for the week. I don't think we had a dog at the time, so it was pretty exciting to have one at the beach!

The most special part though of this picture are the people that are in it. Gillian, Beau, Lucy, and my sister (where is Wooly Bully?)--people that will most certainly always be a precious part of my past, present, and future. Gill and Lucy are Brooke and my other sisters.

I love you girls (and boy) and can't wait till we can go back to the Strandhausel. You can thank me later that I didn't get my hands on the nakey pictures of yall bathing in that big float under the outdoor shower.

It's only TUESDAY?!

What a week!
I mean...what a couple of days! It certainly feels like it is should at least be Thursday! But although it has been crazy and awful at times, it has also been great!
Happily, Wil was able to go to the NCAA Basketball Championship with Gregory--so exciting. Unfortunately, his car died on me yesterday afternoon. As in, car won't crank a couple times, then decides it will turn off at a stoplight in a not-so-great part of town, then it just won't start at all that afternoon. It was towed to the dealership place here that afternoon.

However, the great parts of this are that I have the MOST WONDERFUL friends here. I know that I tend to go back to this topic but I mean really...Duncan offers to pick up a couple things at the grocery store for me that I needed, Brad saves me from sketchy tow-truck man, Paige loans me her car for the day so I can get to my appointments that can't be missed, then Maddie is able to do Bible Study on her own, and then I got to have a super dinner with Allison---and the day isn't over yet--
So many fun people came over to watch the basketball game and that was just so great to be with these wonderful friends!

Then--while today was hectic and early starting after a really late night...it is RUF night and American Idol night. And I have the best education group ever. And Carrie agreed to drive Wiley and I out to the dealership to pick up the sweet loaner/courtesy car we are using while Wil's is in the shop. [Where this guy who works there and pulled the car around goes, as I'm trying to wrestle Wiley's carseat into the "Beamer", goes "Is that your child?...Really??"--ah, it never gets old. Will someone think of something witty for me to respond to comments like this with that come from strangers?]

Oh, did I mention that Wiley is climbing out of his crib now? He just popped over the rail apparently last night while Allison and I were just chattin it up. We hear this thump and ran in and there he was standing up. As Millie says, "He is a boy now." "He love to climb." Oh and Millie--soo flexible yesterday when I needed her to stay later. We are certainly lucky to have her!

Oh, and Wil comes home tonight! That is definitely a happy!

Fall is my Favorite!

The picture on the left was taken on November 6th, from our apartment porch looking towards these amazing woods! The trees just look amazing, and it has been so fun to watch as they progress. The picture on the right was taken seven days later on the 13th. I think this is why fall is my favorite...(well, along with football and Caramel Apple Cider at Starbucks).

We are so excited about Thanksgiving next week, just trying to work through this week with classes and exams! We have so many things to be thankful for, especially this year. I think that Wil and I both have grown even more fonder of Wake Forest and our amazing friends here. For me at least, it has been a transition (that's a whole other post) and last year was wonderful, but this past semester has been so re-affirming and simply incredible! I am thankful for friends here that love Wil and I as we are, and love Wiley as well. They encourage us in our walk with the Lord in addition to always offering to babysit! :-)

Praise the Lord, for brilliant red trees and beautiful friendships. Amen.