Trips in 2012

For the past few years, I've been trying to go out of town at least once each month. Since I never moved away for college, it's nice to have a weekend (or sometimes more) to get out of Augusta and spend time with loved ones in other parts of the country and even the world. It's fun to look back over the past year and see where I've been each month, so here we go...

January: Atlanta, GA

I went to Passion for the second time (sadly I won't make it back in 2013), and I learned a lot about what the Lord has in store for me. I decided to Do Something Now, and later that month I found out I was going to Australia.

February: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

My family headed down to South Florida to see my mom's side of the family. It was a trip full of shopping, laughter, late night doughnut runs, and much more.

March: Statesboro, GA

I spent the weekend in Statesboro visiting my best friend.

April: Huntsville, AL, Sewanee, TN, and Charlotte, NC

I spent part of my spring break visiting my grandparents in North Alabama, and later that month, my family and Caroline went to Carowinds in Charlotte, NC for the day. 

May: Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

I made it to Australia, and I spent time at the beach with these sweet people.

June: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, Australia

Maggie and I went to visit our sweet friend, Taylor, in the city.

I got to see Australian animals with one of my favorite Aussie families at an animal sanctuary about an hour north of Pakenham. 

July: Northern Territory, Australia and Pakenham, Victoria, Australia

 

I spent two weeks in the Outback working with the lovely Aboriginal people, and I got to spend the last two weeks in Australia making memories with some lovely people. (More Australia pictures here).

August: Hilton Head Island, SC

Not only did I make it home in August, I also managed to spend a few days at my favorite beach with my parents. Also, touching the Atlantic made it the third ocean I touched in 2012 (I touched the Pacific on one side of Oz and the Indian on another side of Oz). 

September: Auburn University, Auburn, AL

I went to the loveliest village on the plains to visit my BFF and take one of my senior girls there to visit. It was such a FUN weekend. Take me back!

October: Columbia, SC

I went to Columbia to watch ACS play football with Chelsea, and we watched Kendall run in her last cross country meet. Good times were had in the Palmetto State.

November: Statesboro, GA

I started out the month of November with a quick trip to Statesboro to visit my BFF and watch the GA Southern Eagles play. Even though it was ridiculously hot that day, it was a fun trip, and I enjoyed spending time out of Augusta for a little bit. I also found out in November that I'd be heading to CAMP again this coming summer!

December: Athens, GA

Maggie, Jamie, and I headed up to Athens for the day to explore UGA's campus, shop, and eat some ridiculously fabulous food. I can probably say that we enjoyed the food the most, over the shopping or the being in Athens. Thank you Mama's Boy, Momma Goldberg's, Raising Cane's, and Two Story for having wonderful food and coffee. We WILL be back! 

2012 was a year FULL of some fabulous trips. While I LOVE traveling and going to some new places or even some favorite places, I also love coming back to the Garden City. Look for more 2012 recap posts later this week!

Christmas Festivities!

As always, Christmas this year was wonderful. I love some of the sweet traditions I have--our Tacky Sweater Christmas party, the Christmas Eve service at WBC, getting a new ornament, a new pair of pajamas every Christmas Eve, and spending Christmas Eve with my sweet cousins. I also love the different things each Christmas brings--like exchanging gifts with my roommate, doing Christmasy things with Jack, and taking road trips with my small group girls. I love giving gifts, and I love getting gifts, but more than that, I love the quality time I get to spend with sweet friends and family during the Christmas season!

Jack and I made a Gingerbread Train one day.

It's supposed to look like this...

...butttttt ours turned out like this! Oh well :) We still had a blast!

I took Jamie and Maggie to Athens one day, and we had such a good day shopping, exploring UGA's campus, and eating some really good food. Even though it rained all day long, it was such a fun trip--just to spend time out of Augusta and with each other! Love these girls. 

Probably one of my favorite pictures of Maggie and me EVER!

Dessert for this year's Tacky Sweater Party...a Tacky Sweater Cake! I had fun making this with my parents, and even though I hate cake, I was glad to do it. Everyone loved it :)

And sweet MB made these cute Santa Hat Brownies. SO. GOOD. 

I. Love. Chalkboard. Signs. 

Almost everyone. Love these people!

Funny to think that I used to really dislike this girl five Christmases ago. So grateful for God's grace and mercy and blessings! (Super sappy, I know!)

I miss my first roommate every day!

Ahhhh, love my BFF. 

I'm now onto preparing and waiting for my 21st birthday! Say whatttt?!?! Hope you and yours had a fabulous Christmas and have a very happy new year!

Camp Break an Ankle

About two years ago, I headed up to Asheville, NC for the day with Caroline to interview at Camp Cedar Cliff for a summer camp counselor position for the following summer. I was nervous and anxious, yet I was thrilled at the opportunity to spend six weeks in beautiful Asheville during the summer of 2011. Two of my good friends were headed to camp that same summer, and when I got the call that I was going to be a camp counselor, I was so thrilled that the three of us would all be experiencing camp that summer (even if it was at three different camps). Well, we all know how my camp experience of 2011 ended, and if you don't, you can read about it here (it's too much to relive in a post again).

I can honestly say that I was NOT ready for camp that summer. The Lord knew exactly what He was doing by allowing me to break my ankle, and I look back on that time with a grateful heart. I can almost 100% guarantee that if I hadn't broken my ankle, then I wouldn't have gone to Australia, I wouldn't have been on staff with the Student Ministry last year, and there are so many other things that wouldn't have happened. Again, the Lord was so sovereign by removing me from camp that summer. He allowed me to go through a pretty rough summer to be able to enjoy other things that I never would've imagined. That summer prepared me for Australia and so many other things. Like always, what I planned didn't happen, but the Lord is so good in having something greater in store for us.

During this past spring semester, I got a message from one of the full time staffers at camp. She offered me a position that I wanted SO badly, but I'd literally just sent my support letters out for Australia earlier that week. So, I turned her down with the intentions of getting in touch with her this fall for more information about the position for next summer. Around October of this year, I began thinking and praying some about summer 2013, so I contacted some CCC staff. A week later, I was filling out paperwork, and in late November, I found out that I was "unofficially officially wanted". I decided to keep it sort of on the DL until I got my official letter, and I got that on Thursday. So, I'm officially going back to "Camp Break an Ankle" (as Drew calls it) this coming summer!

I'm going to be on senior staff, and my position is called "Office Assistant". That's sort of self-explanatory, but I also have a mentoring aspect to my position. I'll be working with some of our younger staff, hanging out with them, planning events for their nights off, etc. I'm thrilled to be doing admin stuff--seriously one of my favorite things to do--and hang out with the younger staff and pour into them. The Lord is so good to allow me to serve at camp this way! I can't wait for summer 2013!!!

It doesn't hurt that this is going to be my view every single day :)

they said it best.

Over the past few weeks, as I end another semester of college, as I spend time with absolutely precious friends and family, and as I draw closer and closer to the Lord, He's been revealing some things to me. Some things that won't be shared on here (because even bloggers need some privacy), and some things that will eventually be shared. Through these few weeks, different Scriptures or quotes have just blown me away. So instead of trying to fluff it up or say it any better, let me encourage you with some great thoughts that I've read or heard recently. Because, the people who wrote it/spoke it are the ones who really said it best.

Storms are a normal thing to happen in our lives -- it's not if they come, it's when they come.
-- my former youth pastor, Matt Bartig

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah.
-- Psalm 68:19

God is always doing 10,000 things in your live, and you may be aware of 3 of them.
-- John Piper

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
-- 2 Timothy 1:12

...what an awesome adventure with God!
-- one of the student ministry small group leaders

And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
-- Matthew 21:22

Every experience God gives us, every person He puts into our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.
-- Corrie ten Boom 

catch up!

 The past few weeks have been FULL...not only with school and work but also with sweet friends, Christmas traditions, and much more. As always, it's easier for pictures to show what's going on. So, here we go...

Annual watching of The Santa Clause.

Love this sweet girl and lunch dates with her family!!

I'm pumped about Gus Malzahn coming back to Auburn. I'm really excited to see how he changes (and hopefully improves) the football program. War Eagle!

We love us some Steak 'n Shake!!!

It was this sweet girl's birthday the other day! Love my favorite Louisianan! 

I made some sausage balls the other night. They weren't as good as my Grandma's though. Practice makes perfect, right? Eh, I hope so. 

I ran into my Pastor on Sunday, and he said, "Hey, twitter friend! Thanks for the retweets." He then went on to preach a WONDERFUL sermon on Sunday, and I replied to one of his tweets about it, and he replied to mine. I'm not gonna lie; it pretty much made my day.

Best Christmas gift from my sweet roommate! And yes, we decided to exchange them early because we couldn't wait until Christmas. 

Hope you're having a fabulous Tuesday! 

It's Almost...

...Christmas Break!

Monday is my last day of classes, I have one final next Thursday, I take my last final next Monday (I literally am taking the last final the university is even giving), and then I'm on Christmas Break! I'm SO ready to be done!!

Things I'm looking forward to doing this Christmas Break...

1. Sleeping in!
2. The 4th Annual Tacky Sweater Christmas Party (I feel OLD). 
3. A day trip to Athens with some of my seniors!
4. Spending time with my best friends. 
5. Turning 21 (what in the WORLDS?!?)
6. Spending Christmas Eve with some of my favorite cousins. 
7. Using the Rosetta Stone my dad got me earlier this year to brush up on my French!
8. Having time to CLEAN!
9. Reading a few books. 
10. Making some homemade jam (does that sound like I'm 85 or what?). 
11. And just enjoying time off from school. 

What are you looking forward to this Christmas season? 

thanksgiving break (and the next week).

Thanksgiving Break was MUCH needed. Even though only one of my professors decided to cancel class, it was still a good week. I love weeks where I can spend time catching up with sweet friends and spending special time with my family. I got to see my four favorite best friends from high school, and I got to spend time with my sweet Auburn friend. It really was a good week.

The week was also spent...

...being grateful for these people...

...Black Friday shopping with the fam...

...and decorating the house for Christmas!!!

This week has also been FULL. I have one full week of classes left, a week of finals, and then I will be done for a little while. I'm so ready for a break!!!

You know you're getting old when...

...new pillows and...

...a new shower curtain make you happy.

Thanks Kirkland's for the employee discount day this week. 

The "we unofficially officially want you" means exciting things for this summer! More details to come once it becomes "officially official" :)

These have been blaring in my car pretty much everyday since November 1st. I've always been a big fan of Stephen Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith's Christmas albums, but the Lady A and Hillsong ones have been blowing me away this season. Get them all!!

I'm a huge Duck Dynasty fan. It's hilarious, and it's clean. I love watching this family on Wednesday nights, and I can't wait to read their book. I saw this video, and I was even more of a fan! Enjoy!

Have a fantastic last day of November!

grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! 

It's not Thanksgiving for me if I don't write out a list of the things I'm thankful for this year. So, here goes...

• My sweet family, which is basically just my parents. I'm grateful that God gave me to them, for more than one reason, but especially for the fact that they put up my Christmas tree for me :)
• My best friends. We've had our ups and downs, but I'm so glad that they are the ones I get to do life with. Even if it means just sitting in my living room talking about the past semester. Love. Them.
• Australia. I never would've imagined a year ago that I would've spent this summer in the land down under, but I'm so glad that means that I'm not the one in control of my life. I'm so beyond grateful for the people I met there, the lessons I learned there, and the things God is still teaching me because of that time. 
• The other people that I get to do life with--Casie and her family, my senior girls, my roommate, families that I'm blessed to play a part in, and so many other friends that I'm blessed to have. The Lord has really shown me this year how important relationships are and how blessed I am to have the people in my life that I do. 
• The opportunity to go to college (thanks Mom and Dad). I've been working in retail for the past three-ish weeks just for the holidays, and it has made me SO extremely thankful that I'm not going into that for the rest of my life. Even when I complain about classes or professors, I need to remember how blessed I am. 
• Technology. I'm constantly amazed at how cool technology is. I mean, who would've thought that I could call my friends 10,000 miles away and it only cost $.88 or even Skype and it cost NOTHING. I'm so glad that I get to keep up with my sweet Aussies and friends I made in Australia so easily. 
• My church. This year I've seen the church in many different ways--as a staff member, as someone going on mission with the support of WBC, and as a regular member (which is weird)--and I'm so grateful that the people of WBC are such Bible believing people and can show me more about Jesus and His love. 

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving and every other day for that matter? 

novembs

Whenever I add an "s" to the end of a word/shorten a word, I feel like I'm cool because that's what my friend Mary Beth does. Like "whatevs". She says that a lot, and she's pretty cool. Whether it is cool or it's just an MB thing, I've decided I'm going to do it more often. Hence the "novembs" post title.

Anyway, my dad mentioned to me the other day (and then again another day and then again) that I hadn't posted in a while, and while I haven't had too much to say lately, here's a recap about this past month (pre-Thanksgiving week):

I spent the weekend with Chelsea and her friend Emily in Statesboro a few weekends ago. I enjoyed going to my first Georgia Southern game, even though the Eagles lost. 

I spent a Saturday afternoon with these girls doing a service project. Even though I'm not an intern anymore, I love getting to hang out with the students! 

She's the cutest dog ever. #merrychristmasyall

Does this boy not look like a hipster? How CUTE is he?

Fall in my neighborhood.

It's not fall without a fire. 

And my friend Taylor and I are making plans to go back to the land down under. Texts like this are sent on average 3.5 times a week to each other. 

I made this in my art class last week. I love my major!

love these sweet girls!

What's a good birthday party without sparklers? 

Hope you're having a fabulous "novembs" day!