Three Day Work Week

Is it really Sunday night again?  It feels like the weekend just started and now it's over! Anyone else ever feel that way?  C and I had a wonderful relaxing weekend however, so I guess time really just flies when you're enjoying yourself.

Friday we went and had wings at Taco Mac, which was wonderful! Recently, I've developed a love of hot wings! Maybe it's the ranch obsession, but they are just my new favorite food and Taco Mac wings are where it's at!  Saturday and today we've just relaxed, and tried to get all of our laundry done before our TRIP this week! Now we just have to finish that up and get packed...and make it through three days of work...then we're on our way!  Also, I have to discover the magic stash of clothes I have for 29 degree weather, which is apparently the HIGH the day that we're getting out there! Good Grief that's cold...

Oh, I almost forgot, I have a story. A wonderful story that left me standing at the bus stop Friday with tears running down my face...it was just the most touching thing I've seen in a very long time.

So there I was Friday, waiting on the bus, kind of annoyed that the bus was running late and I was having to wait...and there was an older women standing on the corner singing. She was obviously down on her luck, but was standing there singing with the most beautiful voice and a basket on top of her bag for money... People were just walking right by her, maybe the people in downtown Atlanta are just used to the people begging and perhaps our hearts have hardened to the needy. But this well dressed gentleman with a name badge from one of the many conventions going on in the city just walked up, took the jacket off his back and put it on the woman. He helped her put the long overcoat on, told her to stay warm and safe, and to please of to a shelter for help... The woman offered him what little cash she had in her basket and he refused, he repeated his earlier request and just walked away...Leaving me and her with tiny tears running down our faces. Who does that? Would you? It sure made me think. That one act, that was maybe all of a minute, softened my heart and reminded me that I know someone who would do that. What an awesome reminder of the reason for the upcoming Holiday season. Praise God for moments like this! I hope that I keep this moment close to my heart always.

And Y'all, if you could just take a moment and remember C and I in your prayers. Like I've said, we're flying out this week for a little family visit and I am freaked out about going through security!!! I mean seriously FREAKED out!!! All the stories that have been in the news about all the updated procedures and all the issues people are having with it... so please just keep a calming thought for me! Hope everyone has a good week!

Thankful Thursday

1. A job where I'm valued. My group here at Turner really is just wonderful, I don't think I fully understood teamwork until I found myself a part of this Team.  Everyday might not be perfect, but I can honestly say I enjoy coming to work!

2. Family. C and I seriously have family all over the place; from right up the road, to just south of the city, our old Alma Mater, EXTREME South Alabama, and even all the way in the Rockies!  These guys love us and support us even when they can't be right there with us...I'm also thankful for technology like Skype that makes the distance seem like a little less :)

3. Of Course C himself!  Sometimes I'm still amazed at the way God leads you right where you need to be.  When I met C, I didn't have much direction in life, and I'm sure we can talk about that later...but had I not been in that place I never would've been led to C!  At a time when I honestly was just letting life happen all around me, God showed me a clear path He personally made for ME! (that path was holding onto my Daddy walking down the aisle to my wonderful Husband!)  I'm thankful everyday for our lives together and love dreaming of our future and all the different paths God will point us down together! Love you C!

4.  I'm finding myself very thankful for our lives Right Now, which might need a little explaining.  It's so easy (for me at least) to get caught up in all the things that C and I will eventually do. Buy a House. Start a Family. Slowly replace the cars. Get in Super Awesome Shape. I could go on...and there's nothing wrong with any of those things. They are awesome goals to set for a husband and wife, but when you find yourself discontented with life right now, well, you've gone too far!  So today, I'm thankful for today and all of the wonderful moments that God so graciously gave me.

5. Breakfast for Dinner.Enough.Said.

Which is what I'm looking forward to tonight when I finally make it home to C!

What are you Thankful for Today???

Counting down till Thanksgiving

For many reasons but to name a few; We're going on a trip to Colorado to visit C's family, Iron Bowl weekend (which we'll be watching in CO), and finally when we get back C said I get to decorate for Christmas! He's one of those people who need the holidays to be acknowledged in order, and while I get that...Christmas decorations are just too much fun! It's also wonderful to get caught up in the Christmas story and think about that wonderful wonderful gift we have been given...but that's another post for another day!

Today however, I would like to share some pretty awesome and fun holiday cards I've found for this upcoming year. Now in the past I've always done a more generic handwritten card and normally mailed them the week after Christmas, but this year C and I are going to try to be more on the ball about that and the wonderful people over at Shutterfly have just the thing to make it easy, festive, and fun!  With all of our family spread out I think that having the cards personalized just add a special touch.  I'm sure everyone's Mom would love to recieve a pretty picture card in the mail of their children and family, at least I know my Mom would!  Here are a couple that I think I could most certainly see leaving my mailbox... (click on each picture to be directed to the ordering information for each design, I linked them up just in case you see something you just have to have and don't worry I won't be upset you if we end up with the same Christmas cards!)



This one would be wonderful with a black and white photo :)





even though I might lean towards more traditional holiday colors I really like this one!



and of course, I can dream (just a little) of the day that we have beautiful little faces to fill all the picture slots with!



and finally traditional colors, a reminder of the reason for the season and just a beautiful card!


C's Mom is an avid Shutterfly fan and with her being in Colorado it's so easy to share pictures with us and anyone else! I also really really like the idea of your photos being backed up somewhere other than your computer... Lap top crashes are NO.FUN. and with these guys you wouldn't have to worry about it any more!  Beyond the Holiday cards I've shared above the fine people over at Shutterfly can personalize just about anything, calendars to coffee cups and the prices are great!!

ALSO, bloggers who stop by, Shutterfly has an AWESOME deal going on right now just for us!  Mosey on over here for a chance to recieve 50 FREE Holiday cards!  Super easy and fun...I mean who doesn't enjoy looking at Christmas cards?   Happy Holidays (a little early...don't tell C!)



WAR EAGLE!!!

Quick drop in to say:

LET'S GO AUBURN 

C and I (and Justin of course) are ready and waiting in our orange and blue to send those stinkin' corn dogs back where they came from!  

It's been a completely different game day experience this year, watching the games in Atlanta and not making the trek to Auburn, but wonderful none the less. There's nothing I enjoy more than cuddling up with C and a shaker and cheering on our Auburn Tigers! They've done great so far this season and we couldn't be prouder.

The part of the AUBURN FAMILY here in Atlanta is ALL IN!

WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!

Take a moment and Pray

Guys, I know that I said that I would be better about blogging.

I also said that I would post pictures from Zombie Walk, and I'm sorry but I'm not going to be doing that today. My heart is heavy today and I feel like I need to share it. Please look over the links below and if you feel so inclined please lift up a prayer for these people. They need to be lifted up, they need peace, and they need to feel the love of our Almighty God.

Now let me be  honest, I don't know these people.  They are all bloggers that I have stumbled across, but I simply cannot get them off my mind.  These people have invaded my every thought and I find myself constantly pleading with God on their behalf.

Leslie needs your prayers. Read her story (her name is a link) and lift her and her family up to the God that HEALS. 


Team Ewan  also needs to be surrounded by constant prayer.  Their perfect little boy went home to Jesus.  I cannot even begin to imagine the hole in their heart right now.  


Like I said before I don't know these people and they'll probably never know me or any of you, but we can help in the only way I know how. We can lift them up and pray that God blesses them and that His Will be done in every way.

Thanks bloggers for sharing my heavy heart tonight.

Friday Thoughts

Hoping to become a little more regular in my blogging. I don't want to be a liar though, so there won't be any promises to post every day, maybe two or three times a week.  We'll see how it goes.

WAR EAGLE! Praying a heart attack is not in store for me this weekend :) Somehow the boys keep pulling out wins and that's fine and dandy with me. Can we make it 4-0? Sure as heck hope so, but I'll be a proud Auburn Tiger either way!  We've had lots of people over the past couple of weekends, so unless something changes tomorrow morning, I'm looking forward to a quiet day of football with C and the roomie.

(yes, we're a married couple with a roommate, rent is money that puts us closer to not having to pay rent ourselves...make sense? C and I both would much rather pay a mortgage)

Oh, and you'll never guess what C and I are doing this Sunday... but here's a hint:

Should be interesting and I promise to post lots of pictures on Monday!

Hope everyone has a good weekend...and not to copy my dear cousin Brenna (actually no, I'm shamelessly copying her), but if you're stopping by please leave a comment. Feel like potentially no one is reading.

Will's Weekend 2010

For the past two years C's fraternity brothers (with the addition of the wives/girl friends, of course) have gathered at a lake in Centre Alabama to celebrate a wonderful man, Will Dykes.  Will is the person I hold responsible for introducing me to my C and for that I will always be grateful.   He, or his parents...however you want to look at it, also funded a vast majority of my college education through his generous tips when I was his bartender.  I could go on and on...The group that gathers at the lake could tell "Will Stories" for hours and somehow they never get old.  For some reason, God decided to call Will home earlier than any of us would've liked, and although we may never understand why, it's something that we all remember everyday in our own way.  Will's Weekend just provides us a chance to remember together for a blessed couple of days and we will be forever grateful to his parents for giving us this opportunity for these past couple of years.

Above and below you might notice the two gentlemen kind enough to take a picture with me...you might even recognize the one above as my beloved C. Funny story, these guys share the same name! First and Last!! Imagine the confusion, so they simply go by 1.0 and 2.0...I married 2.0. Somehow though the discussion always comes up that I have two husbands :)  And although that isn't exactly true, I do know that 1.0 plus any of the other boys would be there in a second if I needed them. They truly are a great bunch of guys.  Especially Will, if you needed anything that guy would be there in a second ready to move mountains, or at least to try; and should the situation be one  that no help could be provided you could always count on him to just simply be there and make you smile.  When Will smiled you couldn't help but feel just a little better...even if the rest of the world was falling down.  All of these boys carry that trait, so I know that it will never be forgotten and that makes me smile every time I think about it.

If I haven't mentioned it before the Dykes are pretty brave people. They so graciously choose to host this group of about twenty to thirty people once a year at their lakehouse, and while we're there they let the boys fulfill all their watersport dreams. As you can see there are jet ski's and boats and noodles galor!  I myself prefer to just sit on a noodle in the water as the water crafts wizz by in the background...never really had the need for speed, you know? The guys are a different story. Last year, Mr. Earl potentially had a little too much fun slinging the guys off the tubes behind the boat! This year we missed him, but I can't say that I blame him as he was on an amazing trip :) Maybe next year, right Mr. Earl? This year Mrs. Mary Beth and her wonderful sister hosted the group, and I think that maybe they prefer the idea of  noodling to the speed demon boys!  On a serious note...It's my earnest prayer that the family understand how important this gathering is to us.  This is one of the few times (aside from weddings, and eventually we'll run out of those) that we all get to gather at a central location. Now that we've all graduated, those times are few and far between and that means so very much.  It's also a time that we get to cling to Will, all the memories and stories, and his family.  Often, when we do find ourselves together, somehow the stories come up...but there at the lake, it's just different. That's what we're there for, to Celebrate the amazing person that was Will Dykes.

The stories aren't always for the faint of heart. (and I promise no one is actively trying to hit Kelso in the above picture, Neil just wanted to show off his muscles) We learned that this year.  If you're new to the group you have to come in with a open mind, and be prepared to judge silently should you feel the need.  These boys are no angels, but their Mommas and wifes (or girlfriends) know and don't care.  The stories that get told around the above table I'm not repeating here... but they're funny. Colorful and maybe slightly illegal, but hilarious. 

(Will, sorry...we've told your Momma everything. I mean everything we could think of...the cat's out of the bag buddy. Oh, and your Daddy also knows what happened to every single car that you said you hit a deer in. We tattled in good fun though, hope you aren't too mad )

And FINALLY, if you made it this far here's your reward. Although it's my first time uploading video and I don't think it's large enough to actually enjoy. Any help from the Blog world with this would be greatly appreciated.  Try to watch it and enjoy the beauty that is Peg. No other explanation is out there for this, but just to say there's a reason Peg doesn't have a facebook page...it's so people can't post stuff like this! Happy Wednesday!

Oh and Comment People :) I would love to know anyone out there that's reading this!

Random Musings

OK, I just spend about thirty minutes typing a post, only to click the wrong button and have it ALL disappear. I'm trying to be more consistent with blogging instead of just reading all the wonderful blogs out there so...     We'll try this again :)

1. The Auburn University football team is trying to give me a heart attack.  Hope they're working the kinks out early, because what's going on right now is some ugly football, but I suppose a win is a win at this point.  

2. Saturday's spent with friends makes my heart happy. Football is a different experience now that C and I are in Atlanta. We don't get down to Auburn much, but we've started having friends over for football every Saturday. This weekend C and I got the opportunity to catch up with an old friend and hang out with lots of people that mean a lot to us. We're very thankful for the cluster of friends we have in the city, but times like that make my heart ache for the friends that I don't get to see very often. Although I love the boys, I'm in desperate need for some girl time.

3. Isn't it funny that all summer I've known that I need to be working out and eating better so that I don't have a nervous breakdown every time I have to put a swimsuit on, and now that it's cooling off I'm doing just that? Perhaps it's because Turner has a gym that I can use during lunch? or maybe the fact that all my clothes are tight and I'm having the nervous breakdowns without the swim suit, but I'm finally getting my rather large behind in gear. At least when it's time for bulkier clothes there will be less of me...

4. How often do your taste buds change? I ask this because here recently I have developed an obsession for ranch dressing. It's a pretty serious thing we've got going currently. I could eat it on everything, even my finger, so thank goodness there are plenty of low fat options out there (see #3)

5. Before any of you say or even think it, no I'm not expecting anything. It seems that every time I mention a new food that I love, comment that I'm not feeling well, or really almost any comment on my general well being; there always seem to be someone that wonders aloud if I've turned into a human incubator.  Gets annoying.  I think I'm going to start doing it back. 

To EVERYONE

Men, women, and children. Everyone...regardless of age. Grandmom not feeling well?

Maybe SHE'S preggo!

There was some other stuff in my last post (the one that disappeared, remember?) but I think I'll save that for another day. Hope everyone, all three people that read this, have a wonderful week!

WAR EAGLE and Happy Friday!

Image Courtesy of the AU Bookstore

OK, so I'm back and I'm ready for some more Auburn University football!

As Auburn graduates, C and I both have a great love for the University as a whole and especially during football season!  We love going to Auburn to tailgate (and maybe score some tickets) and having people over to watch the game at home...with C on the grill of course :)  Either way that fellowship and pigskin always seem to put a smile on my face!  So this Saturday it's the battle of the Tigers (although not LSU, which is my first thought anytime someone says this), and boy do I hope we're ready...but if the link below is any indication, I know that our boys and the school as a whole (current students and alumni alike) are giving it their all.

http://auburntigers.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=195328

(It's Coach Chizik's speech at the peprally, go ahead click it and even if your not an AU fan...bet you still get a little fired up)

So that's that. We as the Auburn University family are getting behind our team and we are ALL IN!

Now, I know that there are going to be those of you (and honestly keep it to yourself) that have your negatives comments, your shoutouts for your other teams, and the like. And there are the fair weather fans that are only happy when you're winning...which only makes my heart hurt for them :(  Mainly because of the fact that I can't imagine myself as anything other than an Auburn Tiger; football team or not.  Don't get me wrong, these past two weeks have been wonderful, ugly football at times, but wonderful none the less!  So WAR EAGLE!C and I will have the grill going this weekend, some wonderful friends to watch the game with, and will be ALL IN in NAVY BLUE!!



Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to listen to me today :)

Have you ever seen a Money Tree?

The 30 day challenge is just not working out...I don't want to be a quitter

but...

This is me quitting.

While I am enjoying blogging, I don't think I'm quite ready for a challenge like that...perhaps I'll try to pick it back up later.

Today is just some random thoughts that I've been having...

(disclaimer, for everyone who likes to read all of the wonderful and perfect that is to be had in life, skip today...)

I wish money grew on trees. Really I do. If it did, I would plant one or two in the backyard in a heartbeat. Then when both cars start misbehaving at the same time, the dogs tear up the back yard past recognition or chew up the blinds or stain the carpet, or one of those million other things that always seem to happen when you can't afford them, I wouldn't have to start freaking out. I could just go pick what I needed from the money tree. Wouldn't that be nice? Wishful thinking... I say this because all that I mentioned above is currently happening at my house.

So if you hear of a moderately producing money tree, I would appreciate you sending one my way :)

Day Two-Your Vices

The daily thing is not working out that well is it? But I'll make it through the thirty days and hopefully it won't take anything crazy like 6 months instead of 1! However I think that regardless of my reasons for not getting to day two sooner all can be forgiven, because had I posted earlier I wouldn't have known about my latest vice!!!

These books have officially sucked me in. Totally and completely. For those of you who might not recognize the titles, covers, or author, this is the Sookie Stackhouse series. Yep, I've gotten sucked into another vampire series, and I'm not ashamed to say it!

The T.V. show comes on HBO and flows the books loosely, we do not subscribe to HBO however, but have watched the first two seasons on DVD. I must say that the intro to the show is creepy and it gets a little gory for me from time to time...but overall I must say that I love the story. Now I have the first 8 books in the series (apparently the woman is on book 16 or something) and will probably disappear until I have the ones in my possession completed. First book down, seven more to go...

Day One-Your Best Friend

Alright, I'm copping out. I'm a couple days behind in this first day (anyone surprised?) because I just couldn't pick a "best" friend. Over the course of the past couple of years I have been extremely blessed to have some very special people in my life, so when it came to choosing ONE it seemed virtually impossible. So, to start things off, the most important person in my life...

This is my best friend, my husband, C. He's the first person that I want to share things with, and I can't imagine my life without him. We've been married for a little over two years and together almost four. Sometimes it seems like longer (according to him) and other days it seems like time has stood still. And don't worry we're not actually driving here, we had just gotten in the car after spending our anniversary in Helen :)

Ok, here's where the choice just could not be made. My husband is my all time best friend, but all us girls know that you've got to have a best girl friend! This is my gypsy friend, Tori. We met during our time at Ted's Montana Grill and just clicked! When I say gypsy, I mean that this girl lives her life by the seat of her pants! You never know where she's going to be, what's she's doing for a living at any given moment or whether or not she's going to have shoes on when she arrives, but she's amazing and C and I love her like family!

Next, we have the most recent addition to our Atlanta family. JB! We stumbled upon each other at PGi and quickly became inseperable...so much so that people thought it was weird when we weren't together. Now that I'm at Turner, it's just not the same and I miss our daily gab sessions when we were supposed to be working!

And FINALLY the girl that is my other half! Erin and I met in Auburn! Through football games, late night pizzas, staying up all night talking on her porch, crying over different boys, and meeting the loves of our lives at almost the exact same time...we've done it all together. When C and I moved away from Auburn, I think that the cell phone companies secretly rejoiced because we burned up the minutes like there was no tomorrow! Now we're both in Atlanta and living about 20 minutes away from each other, and it's AWESOME!

There are so many others that have made such a lasting impact on my heart, and I wouldn't be the same person had I not had the extreme pleasure of having them in my life. The FAB FOUR! (sorry ladies, new computer, and we haven't transferred all the old pictures over) Even though we're all spread out now, should one of us need something I know the other three would be there in an instant. I miss you girls terribly. And finally my B-Dizzle, April and I met on the first day of college, and spent the next four years together. Her parents became my Auburn parents and her home my home. She's busy in Law school now...it's funny how life pulls you in different directions.

So there you have it, my best friends! Hopefully I won't take a week to get to day two, but don't hold your breath!

The Next 30 Days

There's a list that's going around the blogosphere where you post a picture and explain the item for each day. I've edited my daily challenges a bit from the original post, but not much. Apparently you're supposed to update every day, which would mean I would blog every day for an entire month. NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN! So I'll update it as much as I can and hopefully it will give me a reason to blog more which is always fun :) Without further ado, here's my 30 day challenge...

Day 1 — Your best friend
Day 2 — Your vices
Day 3 — Your parents
Day 4 —Your siblings
Day 5 — Your dreams
Day 6 — Someone that inspires you
Day 7 — Your job
Day 8 — Your favorite time of year
Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to
Day 11 — A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 — Your dream vacation
Day 13 — Something you're looking forward to
Day 14 — Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 — The person you miss the most
Day 16 — Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 — The place you're from
Day 18 — The person that you wish you could be
Day 19 — Something that makes you different
Day 20 — Your favorite television shows
Day 21 — Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 — Your pet peeves
Day 23 — The last person you kissed
Day 24 — The person that gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 — A life changing moment
Day 26 — The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 — The thing you most enjoy doing
Day 28 — Someone that changed your life
Day 29 — Your talent
Day 30 — Your reflection in the mirror

Hope you enjoy!

Soap Box Friday

Alright guys, I need just a moment to climb up on my soap box... I knew that when I started this blog that everything would find it's way on here. Things that I love, wonderful experiences, moments that I'm sad and now finally times when I'm annoyed. Today is an annoyed day...

Take a moment and ponder this:

"Honor your Father and your Mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12

OK, have you thought about it? Probably something that you've heard for as long as you can remember, right? I feel like that was probably one of the first things that I learned in the little country church that I grew up in. Honor your Father and your Mother. Simple stuff. Notice that there aren't any limits on that. Not honor them when you feel like it, or until you reach a certain age, or only if they're taking care of themselves and not interfering in your life too much. Nope none of that, only Honor your Mother and your Father.

This is OLD TESTAMENT stuff, meaning that from the VERY BEGINNING this is something that our Heavenly Father wanted. And it's something that Jesus backed up in the New Testament, so that covers us all right? I would think so. So now the annoyed part, Isn't it amazing how as we get older people seem to forget this simple commandment?

My hope is that I continually honor my parents, that I make them proud. I hope that when the time comes I take care of them like they did me when I was younger; that I never begrudge them the things that they need if it's in my power to provide for them and to do it with a joyful heart. It breaks my heart that at this very moment, I am aware of a specific situation in which a family is suffering because the children are not honoring their parents. In a time when a father needs support and help the children are being selfish and it would seem only thinking of themselves. One day when they don't have him here with them on this earth, don't have him where they can see him, talk to him, or touch him, I worry that the decisions that they are making now will haunt them. Parents aren't prefect, but God calls us to honor our parents none the less. Alright, stepping off my box now... Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I promise the next things I blog will be something a little lighter!

Shootin' the Hooch

Sadly this year Christopher and I were not able to make it to Brewton for the annual Fourth of July celebration. Every year the Dawkins family has a reunion, then we all make our way down to the city park for the entertainment (singers, cloggers, the like), the duck race, and fireworks. It's what I've done almost every year that I can remember, but due to scheduling Christopher and I simply could not make the trip work. Since we were in GA for the fourth, we decided to grab some friends and tube the Chattahoochee. There's a place about ten minutes from our house that is just awesome! Should you ever find yourself in Buford and wonder what to do I would highly suggest Up the River Outfitters. They drop you off, pick you up and provide everything you need for a super reasonable price!

Chris and Pinky doing what they normally do...stare at each other like they're not friends...Waiting to bus to the drop off point!

This is how they really feel about each other. Pinky and Chris found worked on a project together when we first moved to Atlanta, and now I just can't imagine life without her!

Caroline and Trey super excited to be tubing!

A little too much love perhaps? This was the first time really hanging out with Caroline and Trey and can I just say that we had such a great time with them!!

Christopher and I are pro's at this tubing stuff! The only issue is the place doesn't take reservations, so you just have to be prepared to get over there and them not have room to take you...we're also pro's at having to turn around and go home when they are full for the day :(

And this is generally what C looks like the entire way home if we don't get to go...

Of course he's fishing! Did anyone really think that he wouldn't be? However, since Caroline and Pinky are both exclusive veggie lovers, this was a bit hard for them, but the trout supper that followed this trip was awesome!! It was hard to watch Pinkerton and Caroline have their feelings hurt...

I don't know that you can get that smile any place other than the river...it's like home to him

I however just enjoy floating and taking in the beauty that is the Hooch.

All in all the day was wonderful, a little different, but if I couldn't be home I can't think of a better group of people to spend the day with!

From Bison to Billing

There you have it people, my new place of employment!! Can I just start off by mentioning exactly how excited I am?!? Working for Turner Broadcasting Systems, is probably one of the coolest things that has happened in a while...

Now when C and I first moved to Atlanta, finding a music job was just not in the cards so I went back to serving for a while. That's when I found Ted's Montana Grill, Ted Turner's privately owned restaurant. Click on over via the link and check it out, because it's a pretty awesome place, and if you've never been I would highly suggest it! The main attraction at Ted's is the bison, but if you're wary there are lots of other options and they're all made fresh to order. Seriously fresh people, the only freezer in the establishment holds ice cream and ice cream only! (I know that someone reading this actually hates the place, but bear with me here...) I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the company, however a waitress forever just didn't seem like a good plan.

As most all of you know, I most recently was employed by PGi, in the billing department. This was an eye opening experience for me, mainly because I fell in love with the business world!! And although I made some amazing friends, this position provided no real room for growth over the long term, so it just didn't feel like my path was quite right...

All of the above led me to where I sit currently, at Turner!!! This place is beyond anything I've ever dreamed of as far as a work environment. Everyone is so happy all of the time, and it seems like the perks and good times never end. I've actually started calling this place my own personal Donkey Island :) You know, Pleasure Island, from Pinocchio...I had to look it up to remember what it was actually called, but you get the picture. I'm sure I'll have more wonderful things to say about this company and my experiences downtown, but in the meantime I'll let you know if I sprout ears or a tail. Deal?

A Moment to Remember

Picture featured on the Brewton Standard.

This morning I wanted to take a moment to remember a very special man. Mr. Ellis, the principal at my alma mater, finished his battle with cancer. I don't want to say that he lost the battle, because I don't think that he did. He fought long and hard, and I truly believe that when all is said and done that he was victorious!

Now, I was not always privy to all of the details and updates, but the information I received from my Mom always confirmed to me that the situation was daunting at best. But did that keep Phillip Ellis down? Did he just give up? Not in the slightest. He held tight to his God, let Jesus and his family carry him when he didn't have the strength, and fought with everything that he had. Mr. Ellis didn't just stop there. He shared his testimony. He gave credit to God for everything and used this horrible situation as an opportunity to share the God that heals with anyone and everyone. This man was a wonderful shining light and a true testament to the strength that is given freely if only you ask. A battle lost? I don't think so...

Today, if you had the extreme pleasure of having your life touched by this amazing man, take the time to think of the fond memories that you have and CELEBRATE his life. Although I know that for all of his family, blood and blue eagle, this is a sad time; as saying goodbye to a loved one always is...Celebrate in amazement the fact that Mr. Ellis is at rest and in the presence of the Almighty God that loved him and kept him. High school was a special time in all of our lives, and Mr. Ellis was a huge part of making that time so special. He will be greatly missed, but forever remembered by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. If anything, I praise God and know that there is a celebration in Heaven for one of His servants is home.

What's for Dinner? I'm thinking FISH!

Happy Friday! Anyone else working for the weekend? Weekends are my favorite, mainly because I love getting to spend the entire time with my wonderful husband, Christopher. However, if you will notice the picture on the left, something else has come along that leaves me competing for some of that time! Christopher has always loved fishing. I've heard many many stories of his fishing adventures throughout the years, and get to see the collection of poles on the wall every time I walk into our garage.

Something important to know about my darling husband, is that he has what I call a slightly obsessive personality. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just calling a spade a spade. Since this revival of fishing has happened, he has spent hours reading articles on the internet, watching fishing T.V. shows, gabbing with Captain Quin at the Dam Store and with a friendly sales man Tim at the Bass Pro Shop. Something was missing this year though, he needed to up his game and found the perfect solution...

FLY FISHING!

That's right, fly fishing is what my angler dreamed of, and that's exactly what I got him for his birthday! I went down to the Bass Pro Shop, found Tim, and proceeded to set Christopher up with his very own fly rod and all the accessories needed. If you've never spent time looking at the actual flies, I would highly suggest it. Mainly because it's down right entertaining. Who knew that the little things actually looked like flys?!? Not me, but now I am fully versed in the world of Nymphs, Wooly Buggers, Poppers and the like. I even thought about attempting to make the dern things myself, but then I watched a fishing show about making flies and it's a little much to be perfectly honest. Which brings us basically to the present, Christopher is in love with fly fishing and I'm in love with seeing my husband so happy not to mention all the tasty trout that we get to eat after a successful trip!

First Post

Ok, so I've been following my sweet cousin Brenna's blog for some time now, and decided to jump on the band wagon! No promises about the content or the writing, but I do think that this will be an awesome experience. I do however feel that the title deserves some explanation.

It comes from a wonderful devotional, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. When you think about it, life today is not that much different than the story of Mary and Martha, you know that you need to sit a the Lord's feet, but when on earth do you have the time? With all of the household chores and everything else life throws your way (no kids for us yet, but I can only imagine!) when do we take the time to stop and simply worship? I often find myself in the mindset of Martha, I love Jesus and want to serve Jesus, but I sometimes struggle with taking the time to let all the things swirling around me stop so I can do just that! So there you go, title explanation and I would highly recommend checking out the devotional!