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 :)