The Decade Wrap-up

So how does one wrap up the decade that up until this point made them who they are? I can only try…

When I think about all the things that happened in the last year, and then realize that not only is this the end of a year but the end of a decade, it really brings things into perspective. This past decade has ultimately shaped me into the person that I  am today. Yes, the formative years I spent in the 90’s were important, but the year 2000 and the 10 years following were some pretty important ones too.

I began the decade, much like the rest of the world wondering what would happen once the clock struck midnight. Would Y2K really stop our computers? That was my greatest concern. I laughed at my mom for storing water that I am pretty sure she never used. I spent that fateful night in the home of my friend Emily Nobles….who became Emily Wells this past October. She is a super precious person, and I am glad that even after a decade I can still call her my friend.

Another important part of this past decade is my education. I managed to start and finish Junior High and High School, but I also have completed most of my college courses…only 12 more to go!!! As a lover of knowledge I consider this a vital part of who I am. I have learned things I never thought possible. I am amazed when I think back on the number of books I have read.

Aside from the things I learned in books, life has been my greatest teacher. I have learned what is is to love…marriage will do that. ;) I have learned what it is to lose….as I lost both my mother’s parents. I have learned that what I want isn’t most important, sometimes the wants and feelings of others are much more important. I have learned the importance of a close group of friends who will be there no matter what, over an abundance of acquaintances. I have learned that sometimes your dream job isn’t what you thought it would be. I have learned that when you feel like it is never going to be ok, God has other plans. People aren’t always what they seem, but then again neither am I. At the beginning of the decade and for about 5 years into it, I was concerned with what people thought of me, would I meet their approval? What could I do to make them like me more? I figured out it doesn’t matter. I need to just be myself, love the Lord and love people and if that isn’t enough then good riddance to them.

I think one of the most important things I have learned or realized is the importance of relationships. I remember thinking my family was crazy, but now my parents and sister are some of my closest friends. I have learned that all those times I was upset about not having a boyfriend, were to teach me to be patient, because God had something amazing in store for me….DREW HUNT. I have learned that friends you can share the past and future with are super important… Jenna Sanders. I have learned that sometimes your biggest enemy can become one of your closest friends… Mr. Loftin.

When I think back over all the things that have happened, that I have done, that I have learned…it all seems a bit mind boggling. I really feel like some events happened yesterday, while others seem like they happened a lifetime ago. It has been a good decade, and as with the end of everything,we have something new to look forward to. A new decade to learn and love, to talk and teach.

Goodbye 2010, it’s been real!

Goodbye Christmas 2010, it was nice knowing you

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. We had a great time of fellowship with both our families, and as always managed to get equal time with both. Christmas Eve day was spent with my family, Christmas Eve with Drew's, Christmas morning with my family, Christmas lunch with Drew's and then Christmas night both sides convened at our house. It was pretty hectic, but I feel like we have come up with a pretty good system until the kiddies come along, and then I am sure some adjustments will have to be made.
We ate and ate and ate. We laughed and opened way too many gifts. This year I think Drew did the best he has ever done with my gifts. This is not to say that I am ever unappreciative of anything he gets me, but this year he listened to things I have said along the way, and the listening part makes the great gifts that much more special. I am a coffee lover, but I hate the hassle of making the coffee myself; I also hate emptying the coffee filter after it is all wet and gross. Thus Drew solved my problem and bought me a Keurig. I AM IN LOVE!!! All I have to do is pour in some water, pop in the premeasured cup and in about one minute I am enjoying a little cup of caffeinated heaven. Drew also bought me some earrings I have been eyeing for about 6 months, along with a Vera Bradley wallet. (You can never go wrong with me and Vera.)
My parents bought me a Gypsy to accompany the Cricut they got me last year. This along with the software that Drew's parents bought me are sure to produce hours of crafting bliss. I am going to have to share some of the things I come up with once I have a chance to figure it all out.
My parents also got me three new books. I love, love, love books so any time I get a new one I am super excited. I am currently reading the one called "The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers". For those of you who don't know I am a huge Mr. Rogers fan and am finding the book pretty interesting thus far. The other two books are "America by Heart" by my girl Sarah Palin and "Decision Points" by George W. Bush. Both of those are sure to be good reads.
I got so many other great gifts as well, but I am sure that a run-down of my Christmas gifts is not a good use of your time or mine.
On an unrelated note, for those of you who don't know. My sweet friend Jenna left for a 4 month mission trip to Brasil on Sunday. She would appreciate your prayers, as she not only ministers to the people of Brasil, but ministers to them in a foreign language. She is super sweet and deserving of your prayers.
I plan on giving you a end of the decade blog sometime this week, but until then...Good day!

My Best Christmases

Christmas always conjures up fond memories, in fact, I don’t think I have ever really had a BAD Christmas at all. When I think about some of my best Christmases I automatically think about many a Christmas Eve night spent in the home of my grandparents. My grandparents had 6 children, add 6 spouses and a ton of grandchildren and you get a house full. It was loud to say the least, and most of the time I am not sure anyone really knew what was going on, but we felt love. I remember always looking forward to a gift from Grandma, it meant socks, underwear and a little something picked out just for me. It may not have been the most expensive gift, but it was from her and that made it special.

One of my first Christmas memories that is as clear in my head as the day it happened, is the Christmas that Grandma got her grandfather clock. As I recall it is something that she had always wanted, but as a pastor’s wife couldn’t afford or simply didn’t buy due to practicality. On this particular Christmas my mom and all my aunts and uncles pooled their money and bought one for her. The funny thing is that she never noticed that as all of us were unwrapping our gifts, that there had been no gifts for her. Once all the presents were opened, Grandma was blindfolded, and the big reveal took place. At the time I wondered why she cried, but I now realize that her tears were of gratitude. Gratitude for children who loved their mother, and knowing her, gratitude to God for allowing her to have 6 children when the doctors told her she would have none.

I think my most fond Christmas memory is a somewhat bittersweet one. The Christmas after my pappa died was set to be a very hard one for all of us. I knew it would be especially hard on Grandma. After talking to Mamma, and Mamma talking to Grandma it was decided that Grandma would spend the night with us on Christmas Eve and partake in Christmas morning festivities with us. Thinking back I don’t remember anything I got that year except for a Jewish menorah, candles from the holy land and a book of Jewish festivals that Grandma had compiled over the years. It sounds strange, but I have always had a fascination with God’s chosen people, this was a fascination that Grandma shared. The menorah is still a part of my Holiday decor and sits in a place where it won’t go unnoticed. On that Christmas nothing spectacular happened, I just recall it being a time of sweet fellowship, and perhaps we all appreciated each other a little more knowing that life really is like a vapor. This was our last Christmas with Grandma, and I cherish this special time that I had with her.

I am now in a new phase of my life where Christmas has new meaning. Gifts are my love language, this much I know. So I especially look forward to picking out the perfect gifts for those I love. Having money and being able to buy things for my parents and family brings me so much joy. I realize now, what it was that Grandma felt when she lovingly put together all those Christmas gifts, each one tailored to its recipient. Christmas is my favorite and the memories surrounding this joyous time bring me comfort.

I love Christmas movies

I love Christmas movies, Christmas music and basically everything involving Christmas. My all time favorite Christmas movie is “The Year without a Santa Claus” when I tell people that they normally say “What?” It isn’t the first movie most people think of when they think of Christmas movies, but it is definitely one that should be a part of everyone’s Christmas movie to do list. Here is just a snippet for you…

Merry Christmas Week!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

I love Christmas! It is my absolute favorite time of year and this is why:

1. We celebrate Jesus being born. (I love hearing the Charlie Brown recitation of Luke 2)

2. Spending time with family.

3. Giving and getting gifts (It’s my love language)

4. Glitter

5. The fun songs

6. A Year Without a Santa Claus (My absolute FAVORITE Christmas movie, if you haven’t seen it, CHANGE THAT!!)

7. A SCHOOL BREAK (Can I get an AMEN from my College folk?)

8. Apple Cinnamon Candles

9. Decorative sweaters (I secretly long to be 65 so I can justify buying one.)

10. Fun ornaments (Always a go to gift for this girl)

Those are my top ten! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!  

EXAM TIME!!!!

Yes folks it is that time again. The time that strikes fear in the hearts of college students everywhere…EXAMS! I am lucky this time around and only have 3, but those three have the potential to make or break me. I am not teetering on the edge of a D or an F. But that line between A and B can be about as scary. Not because I am concerned with perfection, yes an A would be prove my intellectual prowess, but it is not a must. It would however help my sad little GPA that suffered slightly after that unfortunate Math incident. I still am not sure how solving a quadratic equation will benefit me, but I did it (not accurately) and it is over. Now I am faced with the prospect of writing a paper on Iwo Jima and the atomic bomb (a very cheery subject for Christmas right?) , a Research Methods exam (insert a look of terror here), a Reporting exam (that happens to be open book, insert eye roll for teachers who don’t teach) and my Spanish exam (Me no gusta Espanol)

So with all that on  my plate it is safe to say this may be my last blog post until exams are over,but don’t be surprised if I slip in a fast one on you…I need an outlet right?

More random than normal

So this post may or may not be long and may or may not make much sense. I plan on making this a wrap up of my vacation along with some other random thoughts for you. If you read a sentence and think, Kimberly is losing her mind, it is because A) my mind is full of end of semester things accompanied by my Christmas to do list and B) I am all jacked up on Dayquil and Starbucks. (Deadly combination I know).

To begin, I guess I will fill you in on the end of our Thanksgiving vacation. Drew arrived late Wednesday night and of course Thursday was Thanksgiving. We had a great day just relaxing, eating WAY too much and enjoying the scenery around our cabin.

On Friday, we had quite an interesting day traveling up and down a winding mountain. I don’t think any amount of me explaining this experience could accurately portray to you the events of that day. The destination was Catalloochie Valley aka Maggie Valley… the road to said destination was curvy and winding and seemingly never ending. Who ever thought a ONE LANE ROAD on a mountain was a good idea was not very bright. With every turn around the mountain, I am pretty sure my dad gained one or two new gray hairs. Once we reached the Valley, we saw some amazing scenery and a herd of elk. Now elk are not indigenous to the Valley in case you were wondering, but once placed there the herd seems to have thrived. It was truly amazing to see.

Saturday, we spent the day in Gatlinburg. It was just a great day of spending time with my family. Of course Sunday we headed back to reality and enjoyed perhaps the longest trip home EVER. We took “the scenic route” which resulted in me sitting in a car for about 9 hours…on the bright side I got a nap and finished an entire book for school. About the time we reached the Summit in Birmingham I was in dire need of some coffee. Thus a trip to Starbucks ensued. Let me just say I believe I received a dose of about triple the amount of normal caffeine. I felt like the Target lady, and upon reaching our house at about 6, Drew and I picked up Daisy from her Uncle Randall’s house and then came home where I proceeded in Christmas decorating extravaganza 2010.

I wish that I had some of that energy now. It seems that somewhere between Tennessee and Sweet Home Alabama I picked up a horrid cold. This is not welcomed at any other time, but especially not when I have exams to study for and papers to write. Why does sickness cloud your head so?

On another note, I made myself come to school today…WHY IS THERE A DJ IN THE CAFETERIA?!?!?!!! AUM is not a club, and some people actually go to college to learn and study, not to booty dance in footie pajamas. ( Yes, I did see this happen today.) The music is so loud that presently I am sitting in the area in front of the computer lab, people have closed not only the doors to the cafeteria, but also the doors leading to the cafeteria hallway and I can still clearly hear Katie Perry singing about California girls. Almost every person coming from that room has commented on how loud and inappropriate it is, so my question is WHY IS IT HAPPENING?

(On a side note specifically for Jenna Sanders I saw Mr. Byrd our principal from Victory in the caf. He is here attending a tax seminar and I am pretty sure the music may be the reason his head was as red as Santa’s suit. He smiled cordially and proceeded to ask me if this was normal for AUM…I replied “No, I have no idea what this is, please don’t judge AUM for the poor judgment of a select few. I also pictured Bobby Utley (crazy chapel evangelist guy) hitting the pulpit and telling me I am condemned for choosing AUM in my collegiate endeavors over the sacred PCC.)    

SO now that I have sufficiently written WAY too much I will close for now. If you loved me enough to read all of this thanks, and I love you too.

I love a vacation

So I realize I have been absent from the blogging world, but our fabulous cabin high atop a mountain is without internet. Thus I am currently in one of my most favorite places in the world…STARBUCKS enjoying the free wifi, a free cup of coffee (I have no idea why the nice barista decided to do that but no complaints here) and the wonderful music that is always found at all Starbucks locations. We have had a great week so far complete with a few days of bonding with my BFF Nicole Watson, hiking in Cade’s Cove and seeing some really crazy things at the Gatlinburg aquarium. The picture above is a shot I took in Cade’s Cove, if anyone has any doubts about who created the world, they should definitely take a trip here. I don’t see how anyone can see the beauty displayed in the mountains and still think that all this happened by mere chance. The scenery is nothing short of amazing, and for anyone taking a trip up to Gatlinburg, Cade’s Cove is a must.

This week I have also been blessed to have my friend Nicole spend a few days with us. Nicole and I have been friends since we were babies, literally I was 1 and she was 2. Nicole lives in Auburn so we don’t get to spend as much time as we would like to with one another, and these past few days have been great.Unfortunately Nicole had to head home this morning to join her family for Thanksgiving, but I am looking forward to Christmas, when we will get to hang out again.

I suppose since this will probably be my only post this week, I will add in my Thanksgiving post with my vacation post. Drew is heading up today, and these past few days without him have solidified the fact that I am completely in love with and thankful for him in my life. Also I am thankful for my family. I have had an amazing time with my parents and sister. I am also thankful for my extended family including Drew’s family. I think about people who don’t have any family at all, and I feel truly blessed that although some of my family has gone on to be with the Lord, I have an amazing group of people still here with me. I am also thankful that this year Drew and I are in a house. I never realized how much of a blessing this is. Apartment living is not for this girl. I am also thankful for friends. Growing up I was always concerned about not having a ton of friends, but now that I am a “grown-up” I realize that having a small group of very close friends is so much better.

I have so much to be thankful for, and I am sure that by the time we get home I will have much more to share as well as some great pictures to show you all too. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Psalm 107:1 

Ready for Thanksgiving

Today this baby is an accurate portrayal of how I feel. I have a history test in about 2 hours and although I have studied, I feel like all the facts are just jumbling up in my head and when the moment comes I might just forget anything pertaining to WWII.  All of this anxiety is compounded by the fact that I have a splitting headache, and I would really just love to curl up on the very unsanitary booth seat I am sitting in and take a nap. I will however not do that, because seeing people laying around napping and drooling at school  happens to be a thing I loathe, and I fear that my previous acts of posting pictures of unsuspecting sleepers on FB might come back to haunt me. Thus I will endure the pain, study up on the Japanese and pray that Thanksgiving break will come posthaste.

80th post

So for this my 80th post, I feel it is only fitting to tell you about my new venture in life.
My boss Marla is all about working out, this can be very motivating. Marla decided she is going to start running 5k's...long story short Michelle and I have also started to train for this.
Let me begin by explaining to you that not only am I flat-footed, but when I run it resembles something like a wounded elephant. I have never liked to run, and quite frankly I have never had the inclination to do so, until now.
I realize that I am getting older...22 hit me hard...and I need to start making exercise a priority now, so when I AM older it will be a habit, and not something I do hit and miss.
Thus my adventures in running have begun. I am doing better than I anticipated, but the progress is still slow going (literally). I need to explain that I am not doing this to win, I have no dreams of winning trophies and such, the main thing is that I am doing something I never thought I would do.
In high school when we ran laps, I always ran really slow, people would pass me and then as everyone else finished their final lap I would sprint with them, like I too had been running the entire time and had run the alloted amount of laps. (See pictures of me circa 8th or 9th grade and you will see a)why I ran slow and b)the result of not running all my laps).
Like I said for me this whole experience has absolutely nothing to do with winning, and everything to do with physical fitness and accomplishing something that I never dreamed of.
For those of you who don't know a 5K is 3 miles, so far I have worked myself up to 1.5 miles. I am sure this venture will lead to several more posts...the first 5K I plan to run in is in December. I will be sure to let you know how that goes and will definitely post pictures as this is something I want to remember and some of you will need documentation to believe.

A Glimpse of the Future

So on Tuesday's and Thursdays I have a 3 hour break between my classes. This gives me alot of time to do different things... today I spent time on Youtube. For anyone who knows me really well you know that Steel Magnolias is my absolute favorite movie, for a number of reasons. One such reason is that Ouiser and Claree provide a picture of what mine and Jenna's relationship will be in 50 years. Watch, laugh and enjoy.

Say What?

 

So it seems after what seems like hundreds of years, that I will be graduating in December 2011. That’s right folks, Kimberly Hunt has an actual goal for graduation! Shocking I know. For months now I have been estimating and trying to figure it out for myself, but I met with my advisor today and it has been confirmed. I will take 4 classes and a lab in the spring, (hopefully) 4 classes in the summer, and then after 4 more in the fall I will have my undergrad in Communications and Dramatic Arts. Even as I type it now, it is hard for me to believe that I am finally at this point with a set goal.

So what’s next…in the immediate future I will be studying myself to death just to get to the point of graduation, after that I plan on taking the Spring and Summer semesters off, then in Fall 2012 I will hopefully try to get my Masters in Secondary Language Arts (ie. I want to teach public speaking, newspaper, etc. in high school). Ideally I would love to one day teach at my Alma Mater, EMCA, but time will tell. There is just something about giving back to the place that gave me my roots, something about offering something more than what I got. This is not to bash the EMCA of my day, but rather to say that in the beginning stages of the school there were some areas that left something to be desired…the area of speech being one of them. I want to change that.

I left high school with virtually no public speaking experience at all. This is simply not acceptable in today’s world. Besides the fact that every person should know how to communicate in an understandable way with other people, at some point either in college or the professional world almost everyone will be called upon to get up in front of a crowd to speak or to answer a question in a public setting…this should not be a problem, unless you don’t have that foundation. This is what I want to provide, a foundation, so that if any of my students are called upon to speak in a group, they will know how to react in an educated and professional manner.

Beyond the area of speech, I also want to instill in my future students a basic knowledge of all types of writing, and maybe even a love of it. While I don’t plan on being an English teacher, there are many elements to high school journalism and speech that require a basic knowledge of writing. And not all types of writing require formality,( ie. this blog, which in many circles is considered a form of journalism).

All of this is very exciting for me to think about, and now beyond just dreaming about…I can see the light at the end of my undergraduate tunnel.

Random thoughts on a hectic Tuesday

Ok so most of my readers already know that Thursday, I came home from school to find our back door kicked in and most of our valuable belongings gone. This being said I will not make those of you who have heard the details of that horrible day numerous times (ie. Jenna) endure another telling of the missing items and such. I will however make a plea in hopes that if the person who stole our other laptop looks at our computer history and reads this they will return my Grandma’s spoon collection in a box on my front porch, I will also settle for a Wal-Mart bag. The spoons have no monetary value, only sentimental. Of all the things that were taken, the spoons are the most devastating. I mean beyond the fact that I still feel like my house is not my own anymore, I feel like another piece of my Grandma has been taken from me. Like I am losing her all over again. I suppose in a sense, every time I polished those spoons she was in a still here. I understand that she will always be in my heart and I still have her wedding ring as a reminder, but the spoons and their significance can never be put into words.

Many of you have asked if there is anything that you can do for us, right now just pray that the people who did this will be brought to justice, that somehow I will get at least some of the spoons back, and that God will give me peace in my home again. It seems like right now the only way I get through getting ready in the mornings is to pray and recite “What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee.” I know I can’t get over this on my own, but with God’s help and your prayers Drew and I both will feel safe again.

My daddy keeps telling me that perhaps some good will come of this, and I keep trying to find it. So far all I have come up with is that Drew and I were not here when the act occurred and now our house will be more secure due to some hard work on both my daddy and Drew’s part.

I do have to say a special thank you to my sweet mamma who spent Friday morning cleaning the floors, kitchen and living room for me. For those of you who don’t know I am highly allergic to dust and am unable to sweep and dust without going into coughing and sneezing fits. I am so thankful for her working so hard to get rid of the robber germs, in an attempt to make me feel more comfortable…it did help. To my daddy thank you for coming to my rescue when I found the door ajar and for helping Drew with everything. I also have to thank Drew for doing everything he can to make me feel safe again, I suppose that is another positive of this event…I am learning to appreciate Drew more and more as my tangible protector, and I can see evidence of his love for me in the way he has gone above and beyond, being understanding and sensitive to how I am feeling right now. Finally thank you for all those who asked about us on Facebook and in person. Both of us appreciate your concern and prayers.

I think we still have a long road ahead of us with insurance and such; and hopefully with a trial later on. I am just thankful I have so many loving people and the Lord to get us through.

School work is slowly sucking the life out of me

This is what my night after church looks like, and then my day tomorrow until my History test at 3:35. While I love school, this week I haven’t been feeling it, and quite frankly Thanksgiving break can’t be here soon enough. Prayers for my diligence in the area of school would be greatly appreciated.

Growth

I always find it interesting how times that are difficult, produce moments of clarity. Drew has been working crazy hours lately and is currently working out of town until Thursday. While this is great for our checking account, I do not enjoy missing out on time with my husband. One plus of this time has been that I have gotten to spend much more time with my sweet sister. Like my good friend Jenna I too have been feeling the need to reach out to my younger sister and be more of a mentor.

High school is sometimes fun, but for the most part it is tons of unnecessary drama. My struggles in high school are different from the ones she experiences, but at the same time struggles are struggles. I wrestle with being too hard on her, with trying to make her too much like me; and I realize that instead of doing those things I should just model Christ and if I am successful in that then maybe she will not mimic me, but Christ in me.

In my quiet time I have been reading in 1 Samuel, and I can see the people of Israel and I have more in common than I would like. I fall away and God brings me back, I try to trust in myself, God shows me I can’t do it without Him. Just like the children on Israel wanted a visible leader in their lives, I sometimes struggle with not “feeling” God. As if somehow my not feeling Him makes Him any less there. He is always there, I am the one who has moved, I am the one who isn’t listening. Nine times out of ten God is speaking to me, I am just not listening. These are the things God is showing me, and it is both humbling and exciting. I don’t enjoy reproof, but knowing that I don’t have to do it by myself gives me strength. Like I have said in the past, I love to learn, and I am taking these lessons as just another thing God is teaching me.

I understand that there are some things you just have to learn for yourself, but I hope that perhaps God is teaching me and molding me, so that I can help Michaela bypass many of the struggles and frustrations that I have had to deal with. I  don’t want her to have to deal with that falling away and coming back, I want her to stay strong in the Lord. I want to be an encouragement rather than a discouragement. I want her to look to me more as a sister in Christ, than a a sister in life.

These are the things I am learning… 

I love an anniversary

As most of you know, Drew and I had an anniversary about two weeks ago, and because he was working we weren’t able to go anywhere. We knew that we needed to get new phones soon, so we decided that this would be our gift for each other. (In all honesty it was Drew’s gift to us both, but what’s his is mine right?) At any rate, we went to Verizon after church last night and got the new phones.

It is here that I must insert how technologically inept I am. Almost anything I know about computers I learned from someone else, and as far as our DVR goes I can record and watch what I recorded and that is about it. Drew is constantly doing things with the TV or computer and I am like how did you do that? His reply: “You just hit this button.” or “It’s easy you just…” Needless to say I never figure it out and will forever be reliant on his technical skills. It amazes me how old school I am. I have done much better since I started college, but in all honesty my 40-something dad knows light-years more than I ever will about all this stuff. I am supposed to be a part of the new generation, the ones who grew up on video games and VCR’s. This is not the case, in fact I had trouble with the gray Nintendo that we had for all of about a year. I was never into that stuff, I suppose I had better things to do, like I don’t know READ A BOOK.

All that was said to say that I am no longer a part of the world of simply talk and text, but rather a part of the smart phone world. I got a Droid X. Surprisingly enough, I have figured out quite a bit. I am actually quite proud of myself. I don’t know how I lived without it. I am quickly becoming one of those people. You know the ones, constantly checking their Facebook or the weather. If an issue comes up that needs clarification, don’t worry I can find it on my phone. I can see how someone can get addicted to this type of phone very fast, so if you see me and I look like I need to be slapped back into reality…please do so.

Bright Star

About a year ago, Jenna and I saw a movie called Bright Star. It is the epically tragic love story of John Keats and Fanny Brawne. Just thinking about it now makes me want to cry a little.

Despite the tragedy of the true tale, some beautiful love letters were produced. This is one of them:

To Fanny Brawne:
I cannot exist without you - I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again - my life seems to stop there - I see no further. You have absorb'd me.
I have a sensation at the present moment as though I were dissolving ....I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for religion - I have shudder'd at it - I shudder no more - I could be martyr'd for my religion - love is my religion - I could die for that - I could die for you. My creed is love and you are its only tenet - you have ravish'd me away by a power I cannot resist.
- John Keats

John Keats (1795 - 1821) led a short but brilliant life. At the age of 23 he met and fell in love with Fanny Brawne, literally the girl next door. Tragically, doctors had already diagnosed the tuberculosis which would eventually kill him, so their marriage became an impossibility. www.theromantic.com/LoveLetters/main.htm

I love words and I love, love. This letter makes my heart happy.

my random thoughts for thursday

Today I had a really random epiphany. PUBLIC RESTROOMS ARE WEIRD!!! I mean think about it you go into a room WITH OTHER PEOPLE get half naked and then take part in a very private moment. This is not to say that I won't be using public restrooms anymore, but it is just a thought I had. Also why are there only half walls? Is this for people who are clausterphobic? I feel like it would make me much more comfortable if the walls went all the way up and all the way down. This added "wallage" would add more privacy and make it less weird. I am amazed that it has taken me 22 years to realize how odd this practice is. Is is necessary? A resounding YES, but it is still strange that we have huge rooms dedicated to this "shared experience". Am I the only one who thinks this?

One year

So here is my anniversary blog a bit late. Drew and I began our weekend on Saturday by going to the Auburn game. We had a great time. Sunday (our actual anniversary), Drew had to work, so we didn’t really do anything. I went to lunch with my sweet friends Jenna and Tori. It was a good anniversary lunch even if Drew wasn’t present. When Drew got home we grilled steaks and had salad and baked potatoes.

I can’t believe we have been married for a year! Everyone says the first year is the hardest, but we have really had an easy go of it. Drew is an easy going guy anyway, so I am sure that has contributed a bit. Another factor has been that God has truly blessed us this year. I didn’t know how I would do with cooking and cleaning and just being a good wife and student. Somehow it has all worked out and my cooking hasn’t made Drew sick yet. There has only really been one bad meal, and Drew even ate it. I attempted to make a Paula Dean chicken pot pie…it was more like goo with crust…I have since gotten a much easier AND tastier recipe from Drew’s mom. It has been an awesome year, and God has not only blessed OUR marriage, but blessed me with an AMAZING husband. No one else listens and puts up with my craziness like Drew does…I love being married and can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

ALL things work together for good…

Throughout my life I have been constantly reminded that “All things work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Perhaps it is because this week I have been especially nostalgic, or perhaps it is what this particular week in history means in the whole grand scheme of my life, but I have been reminded once again how true this verse is.

Growing up, I was never the most popular, I was never the girl that all the boys flocked to, and all too often I have been guilty of asking God why each situation that I wasn’t happy with, had to be that way. More times that not this particular verse has been given to me. Looking back on the past twenty two years, I can say that every word is true in my life.

Losing my grandparents, while one of the hardest times in my life, has taught me not only to appreciate the ones I love with every fiber of my being, but also has afforded me numerous opportunities to minister to others experiencing the same thing.

Another thing that I always struggled with was simply being liked.The amazing thing is that most of the people I cared so much about pleasing and being accepted by aren’t even in my life anymore. I look at their lives, not in judgment, but rather in amazement and wonder why I cared so much to begin with. I honestly see that NOT being liked or accepted by those people worked out for the greater good in my life.

Finally anyone who knew me in high school probably knows that I struggled with my best friend having a boyfriend and me being the third wheel. At the time it was painful and I just couldn’t understand what was wrong with me. Now I realize that there was nothing wrong with me, and that the whole situation led me to Drew. I cherish the fact that Drew was my first and only boyfriend. I didn’t have to search and go through guy after guy to find the one for me. I can also see how God still uses memories from the past to not only teach me things, but also to appreciate Drew and the course my life has ultimately taken.

These are just a few of the examples of God teaching me through this verse. I don’t always understand, but looking back I can see the good in most situations in my life. When the bad days come I know I am given this promise, and on the good days I am reminded just how true the promise is.

This is my life...

So I am fully aware that I have been absent from the blogging world for far too long, but the truth of the matter is that the past two weeks of my life have been devoted to school work and little else. Between reading about the Battle of Stalingrad and then writing a paper on it, writing a paper for Research Methods and studying for my Spanish test...I have been one busy girl!
I can't conplain, because deep down I love the challenge. I feel absolutely crazy because as challenging and labor intensive as this WWII History class is, it is my absolute favorite this semester. I am even contemplating taking the WWI class with the same professor just as a random elective. I really know nothing about WWI and so I feel like learning something new will be fun...crazy yes, but once I am in the know about both World Wars I feel like I will be a more well rounded person.
I honestly should probably write more, but I have nothing to share as the last two paragraphs pretty sum up what my life has been the past two weeks, and I am really tired of writing at this point...so until the next time.

WAR EAGLE, roll tide, Lost Dog, & Hitler

Yes, it sounds crazy but our weekend included all of those things. The weekend began on Friday with Drew working late and me reading a book for my WWII history class, thus the "Hitler" in the title of this blog. This reading about the German invasion of Russia continued throughout the weekend and will continue throughout this week until I have finished the very tedious read that is "Stalingrad". On Saturday, I woke up planning on a fun day of crafting with Jenna and Erin...not long after I woke up my mom called to say that our dog Daisy (who still resides at my parents house until the invisible fence is in) was missing. I became a little hysterical, threw on some clothes and began the search for our precious pooch. Needless to say there was no craft day. We looked for Daisy for a good hour and then concluded with hanging signs and a slight emotional breakdown. We had made plans to go to Auburn to eat dinner with my lifelong friend Nicole and her boyfriend Andrew. We had a fantastic time and in spite of the irony, watched the Bama game in Tiger town. It was a great way for me to get my mind off our sweet puppy out in the world all alone. Sunday morning I woke up with a terrible migraine, probably brought on by allergies and my emotional outburst the day before. Consequently I missed church. This is going to throw my whole week off I am sure, but I know I would never have been able to sit there feeling the way I did. A wonderful thing did happen on Sunday, though. My mom and dad were on their way to church and found Daisy about a mile from our house. How she got there we still don't know, but it is great to have my sweet girl safe and sound. I have never been a huge dog person, but Daisy is changing my mind about that. Drew almost has the fence in and we plan to move her to her new home in the next few days.

Road Trip

This is an accurate picture of my day...currently I am blogging in the car on the way to Jacksonville (thanks to my BIL who posssesses an Iphone with wireless) I love technology!

Don't you just love a love story?

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of one of my favorite love stories. This story begins with two friends, a pastor's wife and a song leader's wife. Both ladies just so happened to be expecting at the same time. Babies are always exciting, but to share in the experience with a friend is sure to be much more thrilling. Although this was not the first pregnancy for either women, this element of sharing in the joy of life had to have made the journey more meaningful.These women were such good friends that they even had their baby shower together. On August 31 the first baby arrived, a girl that the pastor's wife named Nancy. Two days later on September 2 the song leader's wife had a bouncing baby boy named Jim. If you haven't figured it out yet, this is the story of the day my parents met. The two ladies were my grandmothers. After my parents were born, my grandmothers shared a hospital room and even commented on how neat it would be if the two grew up and got married. Little did they know this would really happen. Most people can't say that their parents love story began at conception, but mine sort of did. I used to think this was kind of weird, but now I realize how neat it is that God orchestrated the events of my parents lives and in so doing also orchestrated mine.
I am so thankful for the example of my parents and all they have given me. And although this is the anniversary of my parents meeting, it is more specifically my daddy's birthday. Most people don't see the side of my daddy that I do. While I do respect his work ethic and reliability, I think one of my favorite things about my daddy is his sense of humor. We are alike in many ways, (even if he refuses to admit it.) This is a special day in my life, and just another example of why I love LOVE!

Food for Thought

Today is one of those incredibly long days that I spend at school. I have a three hour break and in that break I work on homework and I also have an opportunity to people watch. I am fascinated by the way people carry themselves as well as the way they communicate with their peers. In my observations today I have seen a vast number of people cursing. While I understand that oftentimes cursing is used due to lack of vocabulary, all the same it bothers me. It seems like new freshmen are using these “grown-up” words as a means to impress their fellow college students. Many times the words they use don’t even make sense when used in the contexts in which I have heard them today. In fact it has become so frustrating to me that I have put in my ear phones just to drowned it out. I have often wondered who deemed these words “bad words” and the thought still occurs to me that in a world vastly different from the one we live in today, that some person began using a word. This word while it may have begun as an everyday word like “hello” or “wow” has over time become skewed to mean something totally different. Perhaps in that same world a person who loved words as I do, began looking for a word to describe their feelings of frustration or hurt. When such a word could not be found this same person decided to create one, thus resulting in one of the choice verbs and nouns I have heard today. I also wonder at what point did certain words become “dirty”. There are words found in God’s word, that I feel bad reading to my third grade Sunday school class because in today’s society they have changed and been deemed “curse words”. Understand that my random musings are just that random thoughts pouring forth from my head and I type. I am curious to research my questions, but at this present time I feel like I have enough learning and researching to do.

On a side note I would like to give a shout out to my precious mother. Today is her birthday and I am super glad that she was, in fact, born. My mamma is crazy beyond belief and I love her every day for it. She has taught me so much in life, including not to say the words I referred to earlier. I can’t imagine what life would be like without her and I am so thankful to not only call her mother, but also friend.

We are Sparks for Jesus, Sparks to light the world!

Today I am revisiting Thankful Thursdays. And today I am thankful for AWANA. I am not only thankful for the program itself, but also for the leaders and sweet babies involved each week.

My love affair with AWANA began when I was in high school and worked as an LIT (Leader in Training). I loved being a part of something that taught boys and girls the Scriptures, and I have long enjoyed working with the children themselves.

After high school I began my internship with Ms. Tracey Maggard who was the EMBC Children's Director at the time. I look back on this internship as one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I learned so much about ministry and loving on children in Jesus name. Ms. Tracey taught me what is is to love on the children that are oftentimes unlovable. The funny part is that once you begin loving on those unlovable children, they become the ones that are dearest to your heart.

I have found through participating in this program that I too have learned Scripture that I might not have otherwise discovered on my own. Each week, whether it be a tough one or a fun-filled one, teaches me something new. You would be amazed at the way these children view God and the world in general. I wish I could view things through that lense of amazement and acceptance like they do. I can act silly and not worry what they will think, because to them Mrs. Kimberly pretty cool (or so I'm told.) I love that about kids. They see miracles in the smallest of things, and they aren't afraid to ask questions about the things of God. All too often I feel like as adults we lose that. We lose the wonder and amazement in the things of God, and when we have a question we try to seek the answer on our own instead of asking those who may have more wisdom than we ourselves have. Last night Ella, one of my sweet Yellow team babies, told me she asked Jesus to come into her heart. Nothing thrills me more than to see one of our clubbers come to Jesus. God is so good!
Along with the kids I find myself encouraged by the leaders I work with. These ladies are all different ages and we are all at different stages and places in our lives, but we all work together to teach these children about the love of Jesus. We cut up and I think we all share a disdain for game time (Who knew such small children could produce such big noises?), but we also encourage each other. I see so much that I can improve on just by looking at the lives of the women I work with every Wednesday night. I see a patience in Amanda Jones that I have never seen in anyone else, I see organization and a gift for teaching in Amy Hallagin, I see a quiet spirit in Susan Scroggins, I see a godly wife in Sandy McLemore, and then there is Cheryl Carriker in whom the joy of Jesus is completely evident. Of course I also have my sweet friend Jenna wo continually encourages me, as I have expounded on in previous blogs.
It is these ladies and all the sweet children I work with each week that make me love the AWANA program. I may have hard weeks, and sometimes they definitely work my nerves, but I love AWANA and all the crazy things that come along with it.

Catch 22

Tomorrow I turn 22. It is going to be a very busy day, so today will be my birthday blog. This isn't going to be all about August 24th 22 years ago today, but rather 22 facts about me in pictures. ENJOY!

1. I have been known to do this a time or two...


2.I speak in random quotes from The Office.


3. I LOVE FALL!


4.I wish I knew how to knit.


5.I have seen every episode of this show...


6.When I was little I had a crush on this "Andrew"


7.This is my most favorite nail polish brand, EVER!


8.I love pictures like this one...


9.This song always makes me dance.


10.Old hat boxes make me smile.


11.I do so love a peacock feather.


12.Lady Gaga is a superfreak, but her crazy clothes are super fun!


13.When I have a crazy hair day I feel like this girl.


14.I want to learn how to do my hair like this.


15. This is my most favorite person in the world.


16.This is true in my life.


17. I used to have shoes like these, and I kind of would like another pair.


18. My idea of a perfect afternoon?


19.Scrabble makes me feel smart and stupid at the same time.


20.This song and Ingrid Michelson make me happy!


21.I have always wanted to find a field full of these...tons of wishes.


22.I LOVE STARBUCKS! (Giftcards here are always a go to gift for me;)

I love birthdays!

So my birthday is Tuesday and I have been asked what I want. Here are a few ideas...



Golden Girls Nesting Dolls (Ten points for anyone who actually finds these;)




Books always a go to gift for me.



An oldie but a goodie!



A day of fun pictures like this.

Fall Semester Day 2

This would be an accurate picture of how I feel today.I love school and I was super excited about this semester because it is going to be very challenging and I plan on learning sooo much. I have World War II History and that makes me immensely happy, because for some reason I have always had a fascination with this war and its inner workings. Other than that I am not too keen on my other classes: Reporting I, Research Methods and Spanish I. Doesn't that sound exciting? (insert sarcasm here)Yesterday I was still optimistic, but then again I only had one class. The source of my sadness is not my class load, nor is it the lack of excitement, but rather that I feel too old to be here.
I am currently sitting here in the Taylor Center and everywhere I look, I see incoming freshmen. Some of these kids I taught in numerous D'nows and some I don't know at all, but they look VERY young. This normally wouldn't bother me, but all my "old" friends have either graduated or are not here on Tuesdays/Thursdays. I am going to revisit the feelings of this summer and say that I miss Jenna. She was always at school and if I had an abnormally long break she would come visit me. I would eat lunch with her and vent my frustrations about life, love and literature. I am enjoying having Erica Armstrong and Erica Johnson here, as they are two of the most precious girls and I feel like they are going to be a great encouragement in my time of oldness. ;) I also am thankful to have Jenna's sweet friend Clara here to encourage me as well. She is super precious and absolutely adorable!
I feel like this is just another time of transition for me. I also feel like maybe I am here to be encouraged and to encourage those younger than me. Like maybe God is going to use me. I know it may be weird for me to feel this way, but I just feel weird. I mean on one hand I am a 20 something student, and on one hand I am a married girl who can't really (doesn't want to) participate in the things that other college students do. I mean there are extra curriculars that everyone is talking about and I really have no desire to attend them, because I would rather be with Drew, but at the same time it would be fun to be able to participate in the conversations pertaining to these events. On the other hand I did just participate in a conversation where I felt very motherly...perhaps I should just remain silent. This semester should provide me with lots of interesting blog topics.

I'm Back!

So we FINALLY got our internet hooked up in the house. I feel like I have been on such a long hiatus that I have no idea where to start. We have everything pretty well set up, I am still waiting to get my piano from Drew's brother's house, but other than that we have everything pretty well moved. I started back to school today and that is sure to be challenging.
Today though, I feel like I can't really blog without saying something about Mrs. Beverly Easley. Most everyone who reads this blog is already aware that she passed away last night. I guess more than anything I am challenged and confused. I am challenged because I hope that when I die that people can say I was a godly woman. I hope people can say that I shared my faith and that I stayed strong in my walk with Him in spite of any adversity I faced. All these things can be said of Mrs. Beverly. As far as my confusion goes, I guess the confusion conflicts with my being challenged. I understand that the Bible says God's will is perfect. I understand that we don't have to understand, but wouldn't it help us with grief if we did? I know I am supposed to just trust that God has a plan for this and I realize that through her witness people may be saved, others getting into the kingdom of God is worth it, but I don't think it makes it any easier to understand. I am thankful that she is no longer suffering, and I am also thankful to have known her.

SHHH....

This will be a very short post as I am currently at work. Yes I am being a bad employee so don't tell. ;) Since we moved we don't have the internet hooked up yet. Consequently I am unable to blog. So here is a short snipet of our lives as of now. The apartment is all cleaned out, as soon as I get the internet at the house I will share some pictures from the apartment. We are still unpacking and settling in at the house, and hopefully we will have most of the unpacking done tomorrow. I am slowly getting pictures hung and things put in their place. It is alot more fun decorating a house of your own that decorating an apartment.
I am finished with my summer class. I suppose I should be thankful now that it was so easy, because that A certainly helped my GPA.
Lastly, my sweet Jenna came home Wednesday. I will say that Drew is my best friend in the whole world because well he loves me in spite of myself, but a girl needs that best girl friend. I am super glad mine is back. I enjoy spending time with Drew, but I have missed that sweet fellowship with Jenna. She is brutally honest with me and in so many ways she challenges me to be a better person. I am glad she had the opportunity to minister this summer, but I am more glad that she is home safe and sound in her sweet home Alabama.
That's about it for now. Hopefully we will get our internet hooked up soon and I can share some pictures and such.

HALLELUJAH!!!!!

The era of the apartment has come to an abrupt end, and not a minute too soon. As most of you are aware, we were not supposed to move into our new house until August 1. Thankfully the sweet old lady we are getting our house from is just that a sweet old lady. She is done with the house and said we could go ahead and move in. Thus moving madness ensued. I didn't realize two people could accumulate so much stuff, and I still have what feels like a million and one boxes left to unpack. Normally I would be incredibly stressed over all of this, but I think I am beyond that point and am now at the point of no return. This means, if it gets done today, it gets done...if not oh well!
I am in no way complaining about how fast we moved, because let's face it I hated that apartment, and the parking lot wars were not fun. I mean yes, I secretly enjoyed the satisfaction of getting that spot, but the prospect of having the whole yard to park wherever I want is so liberating. I also enjoy that if I want to blast my music or tv at 11:30 at night that I may do so without disturbing the people beyond the walls or floor. I enjoy not hearing other people's shouting matches, I enjoy having a yard! I enjoy decorating something that is ours. I keep moving things here and putting things there...it is all so exciting and fun. I am slightly exhausted right now, and will probably continue to be so for the next couple of days, so excuse any random posts or sentences that make no sense. Also if I don't blog for a few days, it is because I am either asleep or I have officially gone crazy!

Not much longer!!!

Here I am again, blogging in class. This time I finished my test, only to wait forever and a day for everyone else to finish. I feel like I shouldn't take too much time to take the test, because then I start second guessing myself and that is never good. But this blog is not about school, nor is it about crazy-long test takers, but rather about us moving. We have 11 days until we take the plunge from nasty old apartment to cozy country cottage. I couldn't be more excited. We have almost all the painting done, and everything is falling into place splendidly. We only have one more coat of paint in the bathroom and then HALLELUJAH!!! we are done painting. I have had this idea for about 3 years now to make a coffee table out of an old pane glass window. Saturday I finally found my window!!!! When it actually gets made, I will definitely post some pictures. Also we needed an area rug, so we went to the furniture auction at Signature Furniture...$100 later we have an $800 rug. I feel pretty good about that. I started organizing last night to put things in boxes today...who knew organizing made you hungry? I finally just went to bed because I refused to eat at 10 p.m. Craziness I know. I am super excited that everything is falling into place like it is, and I can't wait until everything is in its place and I can share some pictures with you all. I also can't wait until I can stop worrying about my car getting keyed by crazy neighbors. Oh the joys of apartment living. Well it seems that the last person is finishing up their test, so until next time...

I love Old Country!!!!

I think I am an old soul, therefore I love old things. These old things include old country music...appreciate and enjoy.

I Think...

It would be fun to wear these shoes...



I need a teapot, like one of these...



This could be true of me...



This is true...



This is precious...