thesoundtrackofmydreams

Favorites of 2011

2011-12-31T23:35:00.001-06:00

This is the time of the year where I get to reflect on my favorite things from the past year! So, in no particular order, here you go...

Favorite Trips

1.) Nairobi, Kenya, Africa

2.) New York City, New York

3.) Ft. Walton Beach, Florida

4.) Baltimore, Maryland

5.) Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Favorite Albums

1.) The Civil Wars - Barton Hallow

2.) Parachute - The Way It Was

3.) Adele - 21

4.) Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

5.) Matt Nathanson - Modern Love

6.) Jonsi - Go

7.) Butch Walker and The Black Widows - The Spade

9.) Nathan Angelo - Follow Your Heart

10.) Ben Rector - Something Like This

Favorite Songs

1.) The Civil Wars - Barton Hallow

2.) Parachute - Kiss Me Slowly

3.) Adele - Rolling in the Deep

4.) Foster the People - Pumped up Kicks

5.) Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On

6.) Lady Gaga - Edge of Glory

7.) Rihanna - We Found Love

8.) Beyonce - Countdown

9.) Gavin DeGraw - Not Over You

10.) Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Favorite Movies

1.) Crazy Stupid Love

2.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

3.) The Help

4.) We Bought a Zoo

5.) Friends With Benefits

(Anyone see an Emma Stone connection here?)

Favorite Books (I've read this year)

1.) The Hunger Games

2.) Catching Fire

3.) The Help

4.) Water For Elephants

5.) New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

(Plus, I read all the Harry Potter books for the first time this summer and loved them all!)

Update on Monica's Family

2011-11-23T21:29:00.000-06:00

When I was in Africa in July, I met a lady named Monica. She holds a special place in my heart for several reasons. First of all, because it was the very first house I was welcomed into in Africa. Second, because her story struck straight to my core and broke my heart. She is HIV positive, and she’s raising her six children alone.

All of Monica’s children have been sponsored through Jacaranda Kids except for Anthony, who goes to school outside of the slums and was already sponsored when I met her. That means every single one of those sweet children is in school and getting an education. It’s so amazing that in just a short amount of time, all God has been able to do.

Brenda met Anthony who was home from school when she went to visit. She said that his wheelchair is too small for him and it’s causing sores under his arms and on his hips. She said that he looked so sad and disheartened. Please pray for Anthony.

You can read about my visit with Monica here.

Adoption Fundraiser

2011-11-07T07:53:00.000-06:00

I have two very amazing friends from college who are adopting two children from the Congo. I have watched them step out in faith over and over since their calling to expand their family through adoption a year and a half ago.

They are having an adoption fundraiser next weekend. They are hoping that this will be their last fundraising event – They have a chance to raise $5000 with a matching grant and if they reach this goal, their adoption will be fully funded!

But here’s the amazing part. Most of the vendors have extended their offer of not only participating in the open house next weekend, but they are setting up online orders as well. Most of the online parties are already active, or will be shortly.

This is a great way to get an early start on Christmas gifts!
Check out more details on their blog here:
http://borderspatrol.blogspot.com/2011/11/matching-grant-opportunity.html

The vendors that will have their online shops open are listed below.
Thirty One Gifts:
http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E1210017&from=DIRECTLINK

Initials, Inc.
http://www.myinitials-inc.com/shop/eventhome.aspx?eventId=E27291&from=MYEVENTS

Usborne Books
http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/hostess.asp?sid=P3244&gid=129015835&HID=HOS207709

Mary Kay Cosmetics (Specify "ADOPTION" somewhere in checkout)
http://www.marykay.com/hflannery/default.aspx

Orangepolkadots Creations
http://www.etsy.com/shop/amymthomas

First Steps

2011-11-03T23:13:00.003-05:00

I hate asking for money. I really do. But I can't do this alone. I need your help!

Please take a few minutes and check out the page and consider donating. Any amount at all is appreciated!

There are also other ways to donate if you aren't an online donations kind of person. Just ask me how! :)

http://www.gofundme.com/9qn4o

Little Reminders

2011-11-02T23:37:00.004-05:00

When I went to Kenya in June, I knew that it wasn't going to be my only trip. There was a tugging in my heart to go back. Even while I was still there. I've been back for over four months and not one day has gone by that I haven't thought about Africa. About the people I met. About the way those children clung to my hands. The unexplained joy amidst the pain when you looked into their eyes. Africa changed me. And from the moment I stepped back on US ground, I knew I'd be going back. I didn't know when. I didn't know how. But I knew that God willing, it would most definitely happen.

A couple weeks ago, I officially signed up to go back in April.

Today, in the midst of an incredibly stressful day, I received our first official email. The email listed details about the trip, most importantly, deadlines for our fundraising efforts. I already knew the total for the trip, but to see the numbers written out like that almost sent me into a panic attack.

Dec 15 - $800
Jan 15 - $800
Feb 15 - $600
Mar 15 - $600

Total - $2600

Wow. Immediately, I thought "There's no way I can get $800 in 44 days."

Then another horrible thought came, "And there's no way I can get $800 more 30 days later, over the holidays."

What horrible timing.

I went to youth a couple hours later stressed out about not having time, not having resources, not being able to pay for my entire trip myself, asking people for money...

Then the band started to play this song.

And it broke me.

You see, this was pretty much our theme song from our trip to Kenya in June.

I felt like it was God's way of saying, "Don't worry. I love you. It's all going to be okay."

So I'm going to try not to worry because I know that I'm not in control.

Everybody, Cut Loose!

2011-10-21T18:24:00.001-05:00

If you’ve met me, you probably know that I have a place in my heart for all things 80s. Music. Movies. Celebrities. Fashion. Everything.

When I first heard that one of my dear classics, Footloose, was being remade, I was angry. How could they re-make it? I’m always skeptical about sequels and prequels, and remakes are usually worse in my book. I didn’t have high expectations at all, but I’ll admit that when I saw the previews start to come out a few weeks ago, I was pretty excited. I think one of the things that was pretty evident (even from the previews) is that they didn’t re-write the story, they just retold it.

So last night, I ventured out with some friends for dinner and Footloose. From the moment it started and I saw those feet dancing across the screen, I was sold. They took my classic Footloose and gave it a 2011 makeover. There were a few things that were blaringly different about the storyline, but nothing major. Ren’s mom died of cancer and that’s how he ended up in Bomont. They actually show the car crash that sends the town into a tizzy. They race busses instead of play chicken with tractors. They didn’t alter anything that was actually part of the storyline, they just made it a little more modern.

With little nods throughout the film, the story holds true to the original we all know and love. Whether it was Ariel’s red boots, some of the same silly dance moves, covers of songs from the original, or quotes delivered line for line, there were subtle reminders throughout that made my heart happy. I felt like the director purposely put them in there to show us all that he too was a huge fan of the original Footloose.

Kenny Wormold and Julianne Hough did a great job, but I think what had me sold on their performance was really just their ability to dance. And what’s a dancing movie without dancers? Miles Teller totally did Willard (originally played by Sean Penn) justice! But with the rest of the cast, the acting wasn’t that great. With Reverend Moore and Vi in particular, their lines just didn’t come across as sincere as they did in the original. Of course, they’re being compared to John Lithgow and Diane Wiest, but still, it’s Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell we’re talking about, not some no-name actors.

While the original will always hold a piece of my heart, this remake is definitely worth a watch (or two)! Maybe Footloose 2011 will mean to this generation what it meant to so many of us growing up in the 80s. Sometimes you just have to dance! The classic will always hold a place in my heart, but this 2011 version will definitely have you wanting to dance in the aisles. And that’s a guarantee.

Autumn

2011-09-21T15:37:00.003-05:00

“Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.”

Hope

2011-08-09T22:15:00.000-05:00

Here's the Hope video we showed. Special thanks to Alyssa Jiosa for creating both videos. :)

Need

2011-08-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

Here's one of the videos we showed at the Africa event.

The Launch of Jacaranda Kids

2011-08-07T23:04:00.000-05:00

Since our return back to the states, me and a few people from our team have been incredibly busy launching a sponsorship program for some of the children we met. The Jacaranda Kids program allows sponsorship for the children of the women who sew with Jacaranda Ministries. Through sponsorship ($35 a month), they’re provided tuition for school, a uniform, school supplies, textbooks, and at least one meal a day. We launched this program at our Africa event last Friday night and we already have 27 kids sponsored! It's so exciting to see something like this come to fruition. It makes my heart very happy!

If you'd like more information about the Jacaranda Kids Sponsorship program, I'm more than happy to share with you!

One Night In Africa

2011-07-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

Please come and invite your friends! It's going to be an amazing night full of stories and photos and fun!

An Education

2011-07-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

On our second day in Marurui, I ended up captivated by some middle school students. It was a Saturday afternoon. They had school that morning, but they were still there when we arrived doing extra studies. When I walked into the school yard, about 20 of them huddled around me like I was the craziest thing they'd seen.

"Do you know Obama?"

"Did you study Swahili in school?

"Why are you white?"

"Why do you have freckles?"

"Why isn't your hair kinky?"

The questions were rapid fire. They had me completely surrounded. All I could do was answer and as soon as I answered, another question was being fired my way. This went on for a good 15 minutes and I loved every minute of it.

Two girls grabbed each of my hands and asked me to follow them to their classroom. "Amy, please come see our classroom!" How could I resist. I did ask them if it was okay, and of course they assured me it was. Uncertain of whether or not it was appropriate, I climbed the skinny stairwell holding the hands of two girls who walked in front of me. We got to the top and turned the corner to the left. They led me into a tiny classroom about 12x20 (much bigger than I expected). There were about 20 square, wooden desks, each with their own personality. Each of the girls showed me their desks and looked up at me with the biggest eyes and smiles I've seen in a long time. The fact that I was paying attention to them and that I cared enough to go upstairs with them and spend time with them was so huge to each one of them.

"Will you sing us a song?"

If you know me at all, you know this is when I become petrified. These girls kidnapped me so I could sing to them? That's absolutely insane!

"Umm...I don't really have a very pretty voice. We should go back downstairs and ask Beth to sing for us. She is really good!"

"No! We want you to sing to us!" The chanting and pleading continued.

"What do you want me to sing?"

"Amazing Grace!!"

I knew I had to face my fear, so I bargained with them.

"I'll only sing it if you sing with me."

"OKAY!!"

I looked around first to make sure someone wasn't setting me up, then I took a deep breath and mustered up enough courage to start singing "Ahh-maaazing Grace how sweet the sound..."

We sang the first verse and I wiped the sweat off my forehead. I don't have a good voice and I've never pretended to. But they didn't care. It didn't matter. To them, it was beautiful.

Once we were finished singing, just in case I hadn't been taken out of my comfort zone enough, a girl stepped out and asked me if she could teach me a dance. Really? Me? At this point, I knew God was giggling at me. So I laughed. And I danced. Because that's all I could really do.

The boys started filtering back in to the classroom. They asked questions and I answered. I asked questions and they answered. I asked about their studies and what they were learning. We took some pictures.

8th Grade Class

I had been upstairs with them for about 20 minutes and I was starting to wonder if everyone had left me yet. I asked if they wanted to go back outside and we started down the steps. But a big booming voice yelled "Get back in your classroom!" So I hugged them goodbye and went back outside on my own.

The minute I stepped foot back on that playground, I was surround by a large group of 7th graders. I had some kind of middle school magnet that day. I honestly have no idea what it was about me, but they were flocking to me. Just as before, this group was incredibly inquisitive. Again, I was asked if I knew Obama (Those Kenyans LOVE Obama!). They asked a lot of questions about life in America...houses, school, classes, university. They were so intrigued that I didn't learn Swahili in school, but I did learn Spanish. Again, I was asked to sing...this time, the National Anthem. This time I wasn't alone, so I made Lauryn come sing it with me (as awful as it probably was, I really wish this was on video somewhere!).

When it was time to leave, they all piled around me and gave me huge hugs. There were two girls, Stephanie and Bernice that hugged me tight and told me that they would never forget me. And I am most certain that I won't forget them.

7th Grade Class

One thing that I learned on this trip is the huge importance of an education. Education in Kenya is not free. It actually costs hundreds of dollars a year. Most Kenyans can't afford to send their children to school and even if they can, they usually have multiple children and can't afford to send them all. Can you imagine having to choose which of your children to send to school? Which child do you pick to have a better life? Because without an education, these kids won't be able to get a good job, won't be able to make enough money to support their families, won't be able to send their children to school. And the vicious cycle continues.

We have gotten the blessing to start a sponsorship program for the children of the women who sew with Jacaranda. We have been working hard to get this off the ground. Over the next few weeks, we will have most of the details worked out and I'll be sharing them with you. This is something I'm so excited about seeing come to fruition! Please start praying that we are able to sponsor these children. To provide them an education, a brighter future, and hope. We can make a difference!

A Visit to Maasai Land

2011-07-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

We loaded up the vans and headed out to into the bush to visit one of the Maasai villages. We were told it would only take about an hour and a half. I'm not sure how long it took us, but it was definitely longer than that. The ride was super bumpy, the roads were super curvy. We drove over rocks the size of small animals.

In the last little town we passed through, we picked up a driver with a huge black water tank who drove ahead of us the rest of the way there.

At one point, our van had a really hard time getting up the steep hill over the rocks that jutted out through the dark earth. Kind of kidding, Dave asked if we needed to get out. But after the third unsuccessful attempt, we all climbed out of the van. Our driver drove ahead of us as we climbed the dusty hill.

The view from where we got out of the van and walked

We finally got to the church! The guys unloaded the water tank that had been donated from California. The pastor was so excited!

The children from a nearby school walked to visit us. They sang a few songs for us and did some dancing. They were absolutely adorable. One of the women sang for us. Then we sang a few songs for them (which I'm sure was quite amusing).

After we were finished, we went back outside the church. The women had set up some of their jewelry to show us. The kids were excited to just have us there. The flies were swarming. It reminded me of pictures and commercials I've seen my whole life. But I've never seen anything like that in person. Garry told us that he has seen the flies so bad that you could physically see them laying eggs in the kids eyelashes.

We were invited to visit the home of Pastor Amos and his wife Lillian and their family. We walked out in what seemed like the middle of nowhere...just bushes and lots of dirt. I honestly don't know how in the world they remember where they live or how to get there. Eventually, we get to a small area with a fence made from wooden posts. Inside the fence were two small huts made of a dung and mud mixture. The roof was made of tin with rocks holding it down on top. Their goats mingled in the distance. We were invited to go inside the home. Only a few of us could fit at a time. I crouched down to walk in. Once I turned the corner, it was pitch black inside. There was one large room with two beds (I think...It was really hard to tell) and a small place to cook. After our eyes adjusted a little, we realized there were other people in there and we didn't even know!

It's so humbling to be invited into their homes. To see a peek into their lives. It makes me realize how much I have that is truly not important. Of course, I'm thankful for everything I have...but how much is really necessary. While their lives seem so simple, sometimes I long for a little simplicity. Not too much, but just a little. :)

How He Loves Us

2011-07-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

We drove back to Marurui today. I have fallen in love with that place. As soon as we piled out of the van, the kids were already coming out to meet us. They flocked around us, finding anyone with a free hand and taking it in theirs. At one time, I had two kids trying to hold my left hand. Another girl was holding tight to my right hand with both of hers, as if someone else might come along and try to snatch it up. She kept tugging at the hair on my hand and on my arm and kept rubbing the back of my hand and pointing at my freckles.

Along the path, we stopped and Beth and Joby led us in How He Loves. As we sang, I looked around and saw the beauty in of all of us singing. Kenyans. Americans. Dark skin. Light skin. Men. Women. Children. And I thought that it must be what heaven will be like. But without the hurt, without the pain.

And we sang:

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Beth and Joby leading us in song

We walked to one of the schools we had been at a few days before. We pulled out the jump ropes and those kids went CRAZY! It was like a mad dash to anyone holding a white Nakumatt bag. To any kid who was lucky enough to be handed one of those jump ropes, it was like winning the lottery. It's so crazy that something as simple as a jump rope is so exciting.

Passing out jump ropes at one of the school

All the kids come to meet us

Walking through Marurui

(An excerpt from my journal entry Saturday, June 11, 2011)

The Nest

2011-07-05T21:31:00.002-05:00

Our team got an opportunity to spend an afternoon at an orphanage, The Nest. The children in this particular facility were all abandoned for different reasons. 26 children in total. The smallest child was only one month old. His mother died giving birth. He was HIV positive. I watched that tiny baby breathing, his chest falling and rising, sleeping in his small crib. There were three other babies sleeping right beside him. I pray that he will have a chance at life. That someone will want him. That someone will love him. That someone will tell him he's special.

The children there were taken care of. Probably not to American standards, but you could tell they were.

The kids were sleeping when we got there, so we got a tour of the facility and got hear a little the orphanage. Once the kids woke up, they changed them and brought them out one by one. They brought out one baby after the next until each of us had our own. My baby was sweet. She had a huge smile. As she breathed in and out, I could feel the vibrations of something bronchial. But she was happy. She smiled a huge smile. She was just content with being held. They all were so sweet. They asked us to stay and feed them, so of course, we did.

Below are a few photos from the day.

Feeding my sweet baby

Those kids loved Dave

All of us playing with the babies

Joby holding one of the children

Lauryn feeding one of the babies

Cooper with one of the babies (Look at those eyes!)

Jessica playing with one of the babies

Meet Theresa and Grace

2011-06-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

Me and Theresa

I first met Theresa and her granddaughter, Grace, the first day we were in Marurui. Theresa was translating for us in a couple of the homes. It was Grace's 3rd birthday. Brenda suggested we give her a juice box to make her day special.

Sunday at church, Theresa came and found me and told me that Grace had been looking for me and that she wanted to play with me. So I gladly took her into my arms. She giggled. Then, Theresa asked her to recite to me her memory verse. In a tiny munchkin voice, she said:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Me and Grace

After Theresa walked away, I tried to get Grace to repeat it because it was so adorable and I wanted to capture it on video. I later found out that she doesn't know English very well, so that's why she wouldn't do it for me. We played for a long time. She chased me around the trees, we jumped rope, we sat on the swing.

Later in the week, we had a conference for the women who sew with Jacaranda. Theresa was telling me her story. Her daughter (Grace's mother) was unable to take care of Grace, so she abandoned her. She said that she took in her
granddaughter and began to care for her as her own. During this conversation, Rhonda came up and she began telling us that Grace had been sick and she had taken her to a clinic. They had given her medicine, but it didn't work to get rid of what was wrong and now Grace didn't seem sick, but she had a bad smell coming from her nose. I had actually noticed this the first day I held her. She looked much cleaner than the other kids and her clothes weren't covered in dirt. But she smelled. It was a foul smell and it was very strong. She was asking Rhonda (who is an RN) what she should do. Rhonda told her that she needed to go back to the clinic and tell the doctor that the medicine didn't work. It had been two months since Grace first got sick.

I found Grace and took her over to Rhonda. She said that more than likely, Grace had a sinus infection that had turned into a fungus. Maybe the medicine they gave her wasn't strong enough, or it wasn't treated correctly, but it had continued to worsen.

Please pray for Grace - that she is able to get the proper treatment that she needs to feel better. Pray for Theresa to have continued strength for raising Grace. She seems to be doing a great job, but I'm sure she will need encouragement. Pray for women who are in similar situations where they don't know what to do or how to handle or pay for medical treatment. It's not easy for them to be able to get to the clinic, or to pay for it if they're able to. And even then, they're not guaranteed proper treatment.

Meet Sharon

2011-06-29T08:01:00.002-05:00

I honestly don’t know very much about Sharon other than her name and her age. She kept telling me that I had the most beautiful hair she’d ever seen. So of course, I took it out of the ponytail it was in and let her play with it. I mean, if there’s an eight year old telling you that you’re so pretty and have beautiful hair, I bet you’d do the same. Even though I don’t know a lot about her, I know that she was so happy that we were there that day. Sharon just needed love. But as she put her dark hand into my pale, white hand I felt just as much love from her.

Meet Rose (One of the Many)

2011-06-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

Jacaranda Creations is a sewing ministry the Keans started within the slums of Nairobi to give women a skill and a way to provide for their family (instead of brew making and prostitution that are so common). The women that sew (or stitch, as they call it) with Jacaranda are not only taught how to sew, but are also able to live life with each other and have Bible study and discipleship together. I fell in love with this ministry and these women.

Me and Rose with my bag

After visiting the Jacaranda office in Marurui, I noticed a fun fabric that I loved. I even pointed it out to a couple of the girls and told them how much I loved it. When we went to visit Tassia slum and met the women who sew for Jacaranda there, I noticed that there was a bag that was finished in the same fabric. I asked who made it. Out from the group, a sweet lady states that she is the one that made it. She was incredibly soft spoken and seemed very shy. I told her that I wanted to buy the bag and that I had seen that same fabric the day before and loved it. She smiled.

I told Rose that I would always remember her and that I would be praying for her. She was very excited I was getting to take the bag home.

Rose needs prayer. It is very hard for the women in Tassia. They have a ton of work set out for them each day before they even begin sewing. They have to carry their pedal sewing machines through the slum each day...walking through mud, trash, and waste to get to the small grassy area of the church they use to sew. The church is partially covered on one end with no walls. They can put up walls, so they can leave the sewing machines there locked up, but there is fear that as soon as they make the building nicer, that the landlord will take it away from them. Once the women reach this area, they are able to begin work on their items. Once their day of stitching is complete, they carry the machines back through the slum. I can't imagine how discouraging that must be for them to do this day after day.

Walking through Tassia

The church where the women in Tassia sew

Meet Virginia (and Kevin and Beatrice)

2011-06-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Virginia held a special place in my heart even before this trip began. I heard her story while I was having coffee with Rhonda back in October. Rhonda met Virginia on her trip two summers ago. When she first met Virginia, she was making brew in her home in the slum and spent most of her days drunk (When I say "brew" I'm talking about a very unnatural drink, not beer - It was dark and murky looking, made in a large pot with pieces of burlap and other unknown objects floating in it). She came to know Christ while Rhonda and Brenda were visiting and reading her Bible to her. Her two youngest children were very sick and they ended up taking them to the clinic. Kevin was a year old and weighed 11 pounds. They were not expecting him to make it because he was dying from malnourishment. Beatrice was 4 and had pneumonia.

I was excited to meet Virginia because I'd heard of the transformation in her life and I wanted to see it. We went into Virginia's home trying to fit everyone in so no one would miss hearing her story. We heard the story of Rhonda and Brenda's visit two years ago and the impact knowing that God loves her. She told us how she felt that day before giving her life to Christ. She was sad. Empty. She didn't know how she could take care of her kids and she didn't want to. She told us that she hoped baby Kevin would die so she could continue to make brew and not worry about him.

But all that changed that day in that same home two years ago. She gave her life to Christ and was transformed. She now tries her hardest to care for the children that still live with her. She washes their clothes, she cleans their home, she feeds them, and she tries to provide for them the best she knows how. She spends time telling others how God has changed her life and she's truly a light in Mururui to those in darkness. We met so many people and when we asked them how they started going to church, their answer was simple...Virginia. While her life is still not simple, and while she still struggles, baby Kevin is alive and healthy and happy. He's got one of the sweetest giggles and loves having his picture taken.

(Kevin - alive, healthy, happy)

(Beatrice and Rhonda)

Beatrice is now 6 and when we got there, she was sick again. Rhonda reached over to me and said, "This little girl had a fever when I was here two years ago and she has a fever now." I could see the pain in her eyes. She had a runny nose and a cough. As we prayed over Beatrice in her older sister's home, it occurred to me that this child was sick and it became reality that even something as simple as a cough could be deadly. My heart sank in my chest as I watched her and realized how hard it must be to not feel well in such circumstances. Rhonda and some others took Beatrice to the clinic, and it turns out she has tuberculosis. She was able to get treatment at the clinic (while not easy, it's possible). She'll have to continue with the treatments and take her medicine. Several days later, she seemed to be doing so much better. She was smiling and laughing and skipping rope. I know that God has huge plans for Beatrice and Kevin. Just look at those smiles.

Meet Monica

2011-06-21T08:03:00.005-05:00

One of my absolute favorite things about this trip was visiting with some of the people in their homes, listening to their stories, hearing about their lives, their struggles, and their faith in God.

Meet Monica. Her home was the first one I was able to visit in Marurui slum. It was tiny. Held together with cardboard boxes and old wood pieces with a rusty tin roof. We walked into the dark room with the little light there was creeping through the door. Rhonda, Beth, Lauryn, and I sat with barely enough room for all of us to fit. Huddled together, we listened to Monica's story. She's a single mother raising six kids. She reached into a plastic bag hanging on the side of the twin bed she was sitting on and pulled out a photo. She handed it to us. I looked at the picture of Monica with her beautiful children and she beamed with pure joy. One of her sons is crippled and goes to school outside of the slum where he is lucky enough to have a sponsor who is able to pay for his schooling. Her husband left her after her youngest child was born so she has been alone to raise the children. She tells us that she is HIV positive. She tells us that she is feeling good but has been very sick in the past. We asked how she was able to care for her kids and she confidently stated that she was only able to do it through God and without his help she wouldn't be able to. Despite her circumstances, she is not angry at God, but she relies on him to get her through.

We asked Monica how we could pray for her. She told us that she wanted us to pray for her children and that they would grow up knowing Jesus and that they would choose to love him. As we sat in Monica's home praying for her health and that she would be able to provide for her children, I felt God's presence and it was so much bigger that that tiny room we were sitting in.

Beth, Monica, Lauryn, and I after our visit

Pray for Monica, for her health, for her children.

African Adventures - The Prologue

2011-06-20T19:32:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to put into words everything I'm feeling right now. I knew Africa was going to be big for me, but I don't think I realized the impact it was going to have on me. The way it was going to make me feel. Something so foreign that I feel tugs at my heartstrings...it physically aches for these precious people I've met.

I want you to meet them too. I want to tell you their stories. I want to make you love them. I want you to feel as deeply as I do, but unfortunately I don't think that's possible. So I'll do my best to bring their stories justice.

Due to unreliable internet, I wasn't able to blog while we were over there. So I journaled the old fashioned way - in my favorite leather bound journal. I tried to write about the people I met, some of the things we experienced, the things we saw, faith so huge I might never understand, beauty, pain, disease, amazing cups of coffee, friendship, and love. Of course, some of those things are more exciting than others, but its all real and raw.

Our African adventures started months ago with fundraising, events, and meetings in preparation. But finally, Friday morning, June 3rd it became real. Our flight left Nashville late Friday morning with 12 of us on board heading to Atlanta. We boarded our international flight to Amsterdam where we had a layover that was long enough to let us enjoy the crisp early morning air and a brief walk around the beautiful city (and a quick visit to Anne Frank's house). Then, back to the airport to catch our flight to Nairobi. We landed in Nairobi and headed to the guest house after over 30 hours of travel. As we sat in the van and stared out the windows and got our first taste of Nairobi, I had no idea how I would feel at the end of those two weeks and how I would leave a huge piece of my heart there.

4 Days!

2011-05-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe that in 4 days I will be boarding a plane and heading to Kenya! It’s so hard to believe that the time to go is finally here. I was one of the last people to join the team when I was asked to go in October. So for the last eight months it has just been an event so far in the future, it barely seemed real. Yesterday, we had our very last meeting state side. We each brought an extra luggage with us and packed it full of supplies to leave over there. Socks, blankets, books, clothes, toys, medicine, band-aids, Neosporin, paint, coloring books, jump ropes, crayons, and a million other items that were donated over the last couple months.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us during those two weeks we’re in Nairobi.

Let me ask you this…please keep our team in your prayers. Pray for wisdom, safety, open hearts, and opportunities. And if you like to pray specifically for each of us, we would love that – Rhonda, John, Lauryn, Jessica, Beth, Joby, Alyssa, Anya, Cooper, Lisa, Dave, Justin, Elijah, and of course, me!

Unfinished

2011-05-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

Right now, the only word I can think of to describe what I'm feeling is "unfinished."

From the pile of dirty laundry separated into respective piles in my un-vaccuumed bedroom floor, to the 10 item checklist with only two crossed off, to the half read book sitting on the coffee table, to the 12 half-written blog posts that haven't been published. It's easy to look around and see all of the unfinished things that need to be done...completed...wrapped up with a pretty bow.

It's very uncharacteristic that I would leave so many things incomplete (except for the dirty laundry part). I like to finish things. I love having the sense of accomplishment and being able to check one more thing off my Post-It note. It makes me feel like I'm in control.

And I guess that's my point. Right now, I'm totally NOT in control.

With 25 days left until I get on a plane and head to Africa (and with the impending doom of my 30th birthday lurking around the corner), it's more glaringly obvious than it's been in a very long time that I am indeed, unfinished. My life is unfinished. There are so many things I have left to do. Things to complete. Things to finish.

Where to even begin is completely overwhelming. Tonight, I'll just worry about publishing some of those half written blog posts.

Let's Just Say "See You Later"

2011-05-03T23:39:00.018-05:00

In the last several weeks, I've said goodbye to many co-workers. Some, I wasn't close with, but there were a very special handful that were my trusty confidants, my break from a busy day, my workout partners, my lunch buddies. They were my friends.

I don't like goodbyes. I know I will probably see all of them again (at least I better!), but for some, it will be easier to keep in touch. While I am extremely happy for their new beginnings, it's bittersweet because I will miss them all terribly!

Katherine, Me, and Laura on Halloween

Me and Sutton at his going away party

The Royal Wedding

2011-04-30T22:23:00.024-05:00

I'll admit it. I got up to watch the Royal Wedding. At 4am.

I have always been fascinated with the Royal family. When I was a freshman in high school, I was convinced that I was going to marry William and be a princess. It's every little girl's dream, right? Then when Diana died, I was glued to the tv watching the coverage of the funeral. I remember thinking how sad it must be for those boys to come to the realization that their mother will never see them grow up.

I was barely a month old when Diana married Charles, but I've always loved hearing stories from my mom and her friends about watching the wedding, about Diana's dress (especially that crazy long train), and the overall excitement. And now it's my turn to witness history. Live. Because in my head, watching it on TiVo and watching it when I woke up wasn't an option. It wasn't live. It wasn't watching history happen. It's not experiencing it. It's after the fact.

I was as giddy as I used to get on the first day of school as I sat on the couch in my pajamas at 4am and texted back and forth with one of my childhood best friends. I wanted to have a slumber party and get up and watch it, but all my friends were against it (except for one, but they didn't get my 4am wake up call).

The wedding was an absolute real life fairy tale. Kate looked absolutely beautiful. William looked dashingly handsome (because that's what you say about a brand new Duke, right?). And what about when William saw Kate for the first time and he told her she looked beautiful. Swoon.

I am glad I got up to watch. Maybe 30 years from now, my children will get to witness their children getting married.

How adorable is that wedding party?

My favorite thing about this picture is little Grace covering her ears!

This photo looks so formal, yet so elegant.

I Heart New York (Still)

2011-04-23T23:14:00.000-05:00

And so my incessant rambling of being SOOOO close to New York City worked. Because Sunday, we loaded up in the car super early and headed to Roy's sister's house in Jersey and took the train into NYC for the day.

Me and mom on the ferry

Manhattan!

Me and Manhattan!

Me and Mom in front of the Empire State Building

Me and Mom in front of Rockefeller Center

Times Square

Times Square at dusk

My love for New York is deep. And if I can only spend 8 hours at a time, I'll take every second I can get. Although I do need to go back for a real trip soon. I know I've been saying that since my first trip in 2007, but it's so true.

Good Morning Baltimore

2011-04-23T23:02:00.003-05:00

This weekend I got the chance to hang out with my mom and Roy in Baltimore. It was a great chance to get away from all the hustle and bustle of work for a bit. We crammed the extended weekend full of fun things to do, but it still felt very relaxing and was so nice to get out of Nashville for a bit. Even if I did trade the 80 degree weather in for 50s and 60s.

Nairobi

2011-03-09T08:17:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love this photo! I found it last night on this web site.

A Little Perspective...

2011-03-08T22:47:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of day to day activities I forget that there's more out there. That in reality, my life and the things I think are important aren't really that big of a deal at all.

My morning looked something like this:

Woke up late. Rushed to get ready. Left the house at 7:45 for my 8:00 doctor's appointment for my second round of hepatitis shots that was 20 minutes away. Didn't consider early morning traffic on that side of town. Had an incredibly bad case of road rage. Got to the appointment 5 minutes late only to discover that my appointment was actually scheduled for 8am on THURSDAY. It was the doctor's day off, so there was no way of getting in anyway.

At one point, I even thought...okay. Not a big deal. Seriously, if this is the worst thing that happens to me today, I'm doing okay.

DEEP BREATH. Back in the car. Battled traffic to work. Stopped to get a venti latte. Turned the radio up and screamed along to Cee-lo.

But throughout the day, small things kept creeping up and stealing my joy. Over and over. And over and over. And to be honest, I let them. Every single time.

By 4:30, I was on my fourth breakdown. And again, I started thinking about gaining perspective. So I came home, took a shower, ate dinner, and began to think about my trip to Africa. The fundraising has been a source of stress. Mostly because I let it be. I freak out that I don't have all of my money raised. I worry that it won't come in. But I know that God is totally in control. And I know this because every time I start to freak out, He reassures me. He does it in ways that make me know that I need to let it go and have faith that He's got it covered. He's shown me over and over the kindness of people I would least expect it from. Money showing up in ways I'd never expect. Messages from people I barely know telling me that they are praying for me or that they want to contribute. And as small as those things may seem, they're HUGE! Because they always come at the times when I need it the most.

Today, I just needed a little perspective. So as the rain poured outside, I started googling some of the places we would be visiting. It gave me chills when I looked up Kibera slum on google earth and could see what it looked like on the map from miles in the air. The individuals that live there deal with so much more on a daily basis than I could ever imagine. I remembered reading something on my friend Rhonda's blog (She's the one who invited me along for this wonderful journey) from her first trip to Nairobi. So I went back to find it again. And it's definitely a small dose of the perspective needed today. The following was posted on her blog from the book "Hope in the Dark" which is a picture and storybook about a the author's trip to Africa.

" If you want to know the pulse and strength of Africa, spend a day with the women of a village. In the midst of deep suffering, domestic abuse, societal and poverty constraints, the women are the stability of Africa. They will carry the buckets upon their heads, touch the wounds of the sick, accept the burdens of helping the village survive - and all the while, they will be singing praises to God. "

And again, I was given a little perspective and reminded how privileged I am to get this opportunity to embark on this adventure with 11 others to Kenya this summer!

New Beginnings

2011-03-02T21:49:00.001-06:00

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
- Closing Time by Semisonic

here

Snowflakes Falling...

2011-02-09T22:51:00.017-06:00

I'm tired of the snow. But it's not going anywhere just yet.

found here

Spring is in the Air...I Wish!!

2011-02-09T06:45:00.002-06:00

I've had fun getting my Etsy shop up and running. Right now, I don't have a lot of time at all to focus as much time and energy as I'd like toward it, but hopefully that will change soon.

Last weekend I posted updated bows for spring and valentine's day. I'm super excited about this. If there are little girls in your life that look super cute in bows, I'd love for you to check out my shop by clicking on this link!

I also completed my first custom order over the weekend. She wanted a layered bow for Valentine's day. I got feedback today that she loved it! I'm hoping that means repeat business!

Control Freak, Party of One

2011-02-08T21:12:00.000-06:00

I had a pretty crazy week last week. I came home every night emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausted. I felt like I had to peel myself out of bed every morning. I needed a break. So I had all day Saturday to myself. I had a checklist that was a mile long. Needless to say, I only got half the items completed. So Sunday, I woke up ready to go. Somewhere between waking up at 8am and going to church at 11:30, I fell asleep.

I had lunch plans with a friend after church. When I went to meet up with her she said, "You should have been at church today. Pete talked about being a control freak."

Wow.

But it's true. I'm a control freak. I have a hard time relinquishing control over almost every area in my life.

And lately, it's something that I'm definitely having to surrender every day. Over and over and over again.

I did go online to listen to the sermon (you can find it here) because the previous four weeks had been amazing.

As my trip to Africa gets closer and closer, I get more and more anxious about raising support. I feel myself start to question whether or not I'll be able to raise enough money. I start to think that maybe it's too much money. I start to doubt that I can do it.

And then, I surrender. And I remember that God is a million times bigger than that. That he's capable of so much more than $3500. And the thing with surrendering is that it's not usually something that goes away the first time you give it up. It's usually something that you have to continuously hand over to God. To trust that he is so much bigger than what you're giving him credit for.

One of my favorite quotes through this "More" series has been:

"The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of that opportunity."

How true.

A Change of Plans

2011-02-07T20:13:00.000-06:00

Plans for Friday night fell through when Joshua Radin was sold out at The Cannery. So instead, the night consisted of sushi and Streetcorner Symphony.

I was excited when I realized that Jeremy Lister had pulled these guys together for The Sing Off. And I loved having the opportunity to root for them every week on the show.

New Tunes Tuesday

2011-02-01T23:11:00.001-06:00

Today is a great day to redeem my iTunes gift card I've been holding onto for such an occasion.

I've been waiting for The Civil Wars album release since I first discovered them several months ago. I'm absolutely in love with them. Plus, I love supporting local artists. I bought this album this morning and it definitely kept me sane through a crazy work day. There's something so soothing and perfect about this album. Go. Buy it now. It's only $7.99 on iTunes. I have that much change in the bottom of my purse. And if you don't have that much change, the single Barton Hallow is the iTunes free song of the week.

Circle, Circle. Dot, Dot. Now You Got Your Cootie Shot!

2011-01-30T22:15:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to get super excited about Africa, but at the same time, there are so many things to do! Shots are the biggest concern at the moment. I spent some time on the CDC's website trying to figure out what shots I have to get before the trip, how early I have to get them. Then I spent some more time researching prices. Then I spent more time trying to track down vaccines I've already had and records. Not an easy task by any means. After researching all this for an hour or so, I had a break down moment.

"It's going to cost me a fortune."

"I don't have the time."

"It's so inconvenient."

"It's not easy to understand."

But then, Friday night at our church's appreciation gala, Pete was praying to wrap up the evening. In his prayer, he mentioned missions. Specifically Africa. And I got so excited all over again. No matter how much crap I have to put up with, or how expensive it will be, or how much time it takes up, I know that there's a reason I'm going. And it's good to be reminded of that.

2010 Favorites

2011-01-11T22:51:00.002-06:00

I don't have a lot of time these days, but I always love doing an end of the year wrap up. I'm sticking with Top 3s this time around. What are some of your favorites from 2010?

Movies
1.) Inception
2.) Toy Story 3
3.) Tangled

Albums
1.) Joshua Radin - The Rock and The Tide
2.) Vampire Weekend - Contra
3.) Butch Walker (And the Black Widows) - I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart

Concerts
1.) Garth Brooks
2.) Train
3.) Butch Walker

Big Events
1.) Halloween Costume
2.) Passing PMP Exam
3.) Robyn's Wedding

Favorite Trips
1.) Chicago - 4th of July
2.) San Antonio - Nate's BMT Graduation
3.) Indiana - Ski Trip with the Family

Remember When
1.) Ringing in the New Year With Emily and Jaclyn
2.) Getting Stitches
3.) Gatlinburg Charge Trip

Refreshing

2011-01-05T23:01:00.001-06:00

Over Christmas, I took a much needed break. I was overwhelmed. Exhausted really. I had several days worth of PTO that I needed to take before I lost them, so I took full advantage. I retreated to Kentucky for 10 days. TEN. WHOLE. DAYS. It was glorious!

I didn't have an agenda. Just celebrate Christmas. Spend time with my family. Enjoy life. And rest.

And that's exactly what I did!

See Ya, Netflix!

2010-12-10T08:37:00.002-06:00

I've been contemplating cancelling my Netflix account for a month or so. I used to use it...a lot. Probably more than I'd like to admit. But since January 2010, I've rented seven movies. Seven. How do I know that? Because I looked at my history, right before I cancelled it. Now, I have watched about 5 movies streaming from my Wii. But when it comes down to it, I've paid $160 to watch seven movies. And I sent some of those back without even watching them! I just couldn't justify wasting so much money.

In light of cancelling Netflix, there's a great groupon out today for those times when I want to rent something I didn't get a chance to see in the theater. It's $1 for 3 DVD Rentals - 66% off original price! It's good until March 2011. Check it out here. If for some reason, it doesn't come up, just search Nashville deals. This particular Groupon is good anywhere in the US though!. I'm definitely going to take advantage. And while I'm sure I'll miss having Netflix, I love Redbox!

Tis the Season...for Christmas Cards

2010-12-05T19:02:00.002-06:00

Last week, someone told me about an amazing holiday promotion from Shutterfly where bloggers can get 50 free holiday cards! Perfect timing for me because I've been trying to decide where to order my holiday cards this year. I'm totally taking advantage of this opportunity this year!

I took a look at some of the cards and I absolutely love this Merry Plaid card here and the Retro Plaid card here and Peppermint Dots here. You can check out all the different options for holiday photo cards by clicking here.

I'm not sure which design will work best for my great Christmas card idea for this year, but I know any one I pick will look great. I absolutely love Shutterfly and free things! I've had an account with them for years and use it to print pictures frequently. If you're not already a Shutterfly member, you can go ahead and sign up and receive 50 free 4x6 prints. Plus, you can pick up your photos at Target, Walgreens, or CVS (always a plus for busy people).
They also have other great gift ideas if you are still looking for great Christmas gifts. Last year, I ordered a photo calendar for a friend and it ended up being the perfect gift. You can see all of Shutterfly's calendars here.

Now, I can't tell you exactly what I'm planning on putting on my card this year, because if you know me, then you know I love the surprise of it all. But I promise, it will be good! I'll be sure I post it after I give everyone time to get theirs in the mail. Now, I just need to make sure my address book is updated so I can send these out to all my friends.

First Etsy Post

2010-11-21T23:27:00.001-06:00

Tonight, I was finally able to get some photos up of some of my ribbon trees.

Check them out here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/amymthomas

I can also do custom orders. Let me know if you need anything before Christmas!

Etsy is My Friend

2010-11-19T23:15:00.000-06:00

Over the last several months, I've had several people try to convince me to open an Etsy shop. It's something I've thought about doing, but I just never had the time.

I finally bit the bullet and set up a shop last weekend. One of my good friends created a logo for me a while back, so I asked if she could turn it into a banner. She worked on it and sent it back. I think it looks great!

What do you think?

Another Win!

2010-11-12T08:32:00.001-06:00

The day after halloween, a friend sent me the link to enter an online costume contest for Mapco, so I did. They posted a voting poll that was up for a week or so. I posted it on facebook and twitter and asked all my friends to vote. Yesterday, I got a message saying that I won! They asked some questions about the costume and asked if they could feature my name, photo, and story on their blog. That Sock Monkey is becoming famous. One contest at a time.

Check out the article here.

A Sock Monkey's gotta work out.

Craft Fair

2010-11-08T22:01:00.001-06:00

This weekend, I participated in my very first craft fair! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for the last few years. So when the opportunity presented itself, I finally took the plunge. The craft fair was actually the catalyst for me going to Africa. It all worked out perfectly. I saw my friend had posted that she was looking for vendors for an upcoming craft fair to raise money for their Africa trip. When I told her I was interested in selling my ribbon trees, she asked me to go to Africa.

Since the fundraiser was to support the Nairobi trip. So it served as a great place for me to try my hand at selling my crafts, as well as raise money for my trip. The event was pulled off without a hitch. All of the vendors and volunteers were amazing. I’m hoping it’s something we can do (and I can participate in) annually.

I sold my ribbon trees and wreaths. And they sold very well! If you’d like one, or know of anyone who would love to get one for Christmas, let me know. I have trees in 12” and 8” off all different colors and lots of wreaths left. See some photos below!

I’ve also been throwing around the idea of opening and etsy shop. We’ll see what happens!

Nothing Gold Can Stay

2010-11-03T21:40:00.000-05:00

check it

Fall is here, but probably not for long. It seems that we really only get a couple of good weeks of true autumn goodness around here. The cool days with the warm sun shining down. The chilly nights where all you need is a hoodie, or a light jacket to stay warm. It reminds me football, Thanksgiving, and great food.

I love watching the leaves change color and slowly make their way to the ground. Out my new office window, I've been able to slowly watch the trees change from green to red and yellow and orange. It won't be long before their branches are bare and the cold comes to stay for a bit. So I'm going to go grab a cup of apple cider and enjoy it while I can. I'll leave you with this poem by Robert Frost, which also makes an appearance in one amazing movie - The Outsiders! Stay Gold, Ponyboy! (Cue the Stevie Wonder music)

Nothing Gold Can Stay

by: Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold,

Her early leaf's a flower.

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

check it

Everyone Loves a Sock Monkey

2010-11-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

Since my Halloween costume was such a hit this year, I thought what better way to celebrate, than to enter the most prestigious costume contest in Nashville. Jack FM put on a contest at The Wildhorse Saloon last night, so I talked some friends in to heading down there with me.

And it’s a good thing I did…because I won! FIRST PLACE! I couldn’t believe it. I woke up this morning thinking the whole thing was a dream. Luckily, I have these pictures to prove that it really happened.

Sock Monkey Meets Indiana Jones

The Sock Monkey in the spotlight

Top 5 Contestants

Top 3 Contestants

1st - Sock Monkey

2nd - Beaker

3rd - Frankenstein on stilts

The Costume Reveal

2010-10-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

Drumroll, please! Without further adieu...here's my costume for this year!

Some things don’t need words.

2010-10-28T07:56:00.007-05:00

This is a photo I took of the sunset from my office building Tuesday evening after the storms.

Financial Rollercoaster

2010-10-26T08:49:00.001-05:00

It’s been a rough year financially.

I’m incredibly thankful that last fall I finally broke down and took the Financial Peace class after years of contemplating it. If I hadn't, I might be in shambles right now. I've always been pretty financially responsible, but over the last three years, I grew in my comfort level. I had my emergency fund, plus some "extra" money in the bank. I was comfortable. I could give when I wanted, I could buy things when I wanted, I could take trips, and not worry.

Then, 2010 decided to take me on a financial rollercoaster. And I unwillingly went along for the ride.

In January, I did something that caused my neck to start spasming. I've had trouble off and on with this for years. But this time around, I was going to the chiropractor twice a week for several months. Those pennies add up quickly, especially when your insurance isn't covering much of the visit.

At the beginning of February I had just returned from a ridiculously long youth weekend retreat in Gatlinburg (where we may have been stuck at a truck stop for 4 hours). We were getting back into town about 30 minutes before kickoff for the Super Bowl. I’d been invited to a little get together with some friends. I had just enough time to run to Kroger, conjure up some homemade guacamole and head over to their place without missing too much of the action. I mixed everything together quickly, put it in a large Tupperware and rushed over to my friend’s apartment.

I had literally been there for five minutes when disaster struck. I was in the kitchen alone finishing up my homemade guacamole. I grabbed a knife and sliced the lime in half. I went to make a couple incisions in it so that the juice would squeeze out a little easier. Apparently, somewhere in the process, I sliced into my thumb. I was bleeding. I calmly called my friend into her kitchen to ask her opinion of whether or not I needed stitches. I was pretty certain that I needed stitches, but I didn't want to go to the ER. After a while of contemplating and having everyone weigh in, I headed to the ER.

Had I known it was going to cost $1000 to put three little blue stitches in my thumb and give me a tetanus shot, I probably would have bandaged that sucker up and waited until the next morning to go to a clinic. Hindsight is always 20/20 though, right?

In April, after several specialist appointments, it was decided that I should have major surgery...an adult tonsillectomy. While that was much more intense (and expensive) than I was hoping, it was something that I needed to do.

It probably would have been helpful to know that any of these events would be occurring when I chose my insurance.

Anyway, all that to say that it’s been a rough year for finances, especially medical bills. As careful as I have been with money, it seems like I never have much left over. It’s probably a good thing because it keeps me from spending frivolously, but it’s a different place than I’m used to being. I feel like I can't just do the things I want. I have to monitor every dollar I spend. And honestly, I don’t like it.

In evaluating this and thinking about it over the last several days, I've realized how greedy I can be. I have everything I need. I have more than I want. I'm taken care of. I can provide for myself. But yet, I want more. It never seems to be enough. And that's so ridiculous.

So, instead of worrying about it all, I'm going to focus on being a good steward of my money. I want to focus on giving more.

In the last couple months, I’ve found ways to cut back. I discovered that we get an AT&T Wireless discount through work. That’s saved me almost $19 a month. I’ve also been seriously contemplating getting rid of my Netflix membership and my YMCA membership. I use Netflix all the time, but I could probably find better use of my time and the Redbox is just as convenient. Our new office has a small gym. It seems silly to continue to pay for the Y, but there's a part of me that wants to hang on to it.

I’ve been clipping coupons (a lot) for everything…trying to take my lunch to work (as much as I love getting out of the office)…and just trying to keep things simple.

Anyone have any other suggestions on simple ways you've saved money?

Africa, Here I Come!

2010-10-21T07:55:00.002-05:00

Last week, I got a very simple message from a friend that just said, "You want to go to Africa with me in June 2011?"

My response was immediate. "Actually, I'd LOVE to!"

And while this response seemed rash and completely not thought out and very unlike me, I couldn't pass up this opportunity. I've always had a heart for Africa and have always wanted the chance to go there.

When I was in third grade, we had a guest speaker at chuch. I don't remember what he came to talk to us about, but I do remember that he was from Kenya. I remember being facinated by his dark skin and his huge bright white smile. He taught us a song in Swahili. Now, 21 years later, I can't remember for the life of me remember what song it was, but I do remember singing it for weeks after that so I wouldn't forget it. I even went so far as to write it out phonetically so that I wouldn't forget. And since that time, I have wanted to go to Africa.

Next summer, I'll be venturing to Nairobi, Kenya for 2 weeks with about 10 other people. We'll be traveling to several slums providing VBS, Bible studies, and sports camps. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. A quick side note: I'll be celebrating my 30th birthday there! How exciting is that?

I'll be raising support to help fund my trip, so as I come up with creative ideas on how I can do that, I'm sure I'll be posting more here. Please pray about partnering with me on this journey. Whether it be financially, or in prayer, it's all appreciated.

Top Secret - Halloween Costume

2010-10-20T23:08:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love Halloween. I know there are people out there who think it's a children's holiday, but I am a huge fan. I love candy. I love dressing up. And I love coming up with amazing costumes. I can't reveal my costume for this year just yet. But I'll tell you this...I came up with the idea in February. At first, I wasn't sure anyone could really pull it off. But with the help of my wonderful mother, a plan was put into action and it's almost complete. I'm super excited about this one. But since I can't share it with you just yet, I'll leave you with some pictures from some of my favorites from years past.

2008 - Rainbow Brite

2008 - Kat Von D

Happy 5 Year Anniversary to Me!

2010-10-15T18:15:00.003-05:00

(Photo by Sutton Spence)

At what point can you call the place you live “home” and actually mean it?

Nashville does feel like my home and it has since the first day I moved here. I knew that I wanted to live in Nashville since the spring of 2002. I was visiting Nashville for a weekend training for a job. It was a weekend filled with fun, lots of learning, new friends, meeting a guy I’d eventually date, and falling in love. That weekend, I was giddy as I walked against the crisp, cool air as the notes of unfamiliar country hits crept into the streets from the nearest honky tonk bars. The plastic Elvises all around the city seemed incredibly appropriate. I thought the city was absolutely majestic.

The boy and I walked down to Riverfront Park telling stories the whole way. I listened and watched in amazement as the city came to life before my very eyes.

We walked to the other side of the Cumberland River and sat on some huge rocks and just stared at the skyline for what seemed like forever. And I fell in love. Not with the boy. But with the city I knew would one day be my home.

And thinking back, I think that’s the moment I really knew that I wanted to live here. I knew that I wanted to come back…if even for a brief period of time.

And today, I celebrate my 5th anniversary. Not with that boy, but with Nashville. And I couldn’t be more excited.

Season of Change

2010-10-13T08:34:00.001-05:00

I like to think that I welcome change with open arms. But if I’m truly honest with myself, I may be putting on a front. Most of the time, I tend to be very consistent in almost everything I do. Not to say that I don’t like to try new stuff, I definitely do. But a lot of times, I stick within the safety of what I know.

There was a Barnes and Noble located around the corner to where our previous office was. I’d only worked there for a short time before it became my morning sanctuary. They quickly learned that I always ordered a grande caramel macchiato and that I rarely, if ever, ordered anything else. Over the (almost) five years I worked at that area, it seemed there were a million employees that worked in the café. Most of them knew me and knew what I wanted without even asking. There were a few employees in particular that made my day when they worked (One may or may not have been a huge crush). But It made me feel special. It wasn’t just about ordering a macchiato. They knew me.

Last week, our organization moved about 10 miles up the road. It’s a much nicer building and everything is customized for us. It’s supposed to represent what we do, what we believe, and who we are. It’s a very attractive space, highly innovative, and very modern. But there’s just something about it that’s not incredibly appealing to me. It may be that my wonderful little office has been stripped from me and I’ve been forced back into cubicle life. Or, there may just be something deeply sentimental about our previous location. I started working there a month after I moved to Nashville. And nothing in my life has really been consistent (especially with work) since I first moved. I’ve changed positions, I’ve changed bosses, and I’ve changed cubicles and offices, all numerous times. But that building always remained the same. Now, the stability that I once knew has been removed, and once again, change has taken the forefront.

I’m sure after a little while this will start to feel like home. And I’m sure it won’t be long before I can find a place to get good coffee with kind people who remember who I am and what I like. And if I put on my happy face and try really hard, they might even want to be friends. And I know it won’t be too long before the seasons start to change again. And until that time, I’m going to cling to the small consistencies in my life. Because apparently, as it turns out, I’m not a huge fan of change.

The Great International City Swap

2010-10-05T08:13:00.001-05:00

My friend, Laura, over at Just Put on a Little Lipstick is hosting this year's International City Swap. I told her that I'd help her out with some of the organization with it. It's an incredibly cool idea that her blog friend Shelly started. So, keeping with tradition, here's what you do.

What is the International City Swap?

What we do is we swap cities/towns. You put together a package that you think best represents the place where you live, and what you love about it. Or, if you think where you live is ridiculous, you can put in the silliest things you can find. It’s up to your own creativity.

In the past there have been some really lovely packages circulating: from Detroit to Alaska, NYC to Rome, Jordan, NY to Turin, Italy, San Jose, CA to Australia, and Atlanta, Georgia to Rome and many going state to state here in the USA. You do not have to have a blog to participate, just an email address and the willingness to put together and mail a package.

HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

What: Swap some thing(s) that, in your opinion, best represent the place where you live, and what you think makes it unique. It can be anything from handmade to store-bought, mugs to magnets, framed photos to local food items and handicrafts to postcards and local candy…just use your creativity!

How: To join the swap, leave a comment on this post with your information, OR email InternationalCitySwap@gmail.com . Please indicate if you do not wish to send internationally.

When: The deadline to join in the swap is Sunday, October 10th. The list of swap buddies will be posted on Sunday, October 17th. Then you can get in touch with the person you’ll be sending to, to see if they have any special likes/dislikes, etc. and perhaps personalize their package a bit. You’ll have two weeks to put your package together: the packages will need to go out by Monday, November 1st.

Cost: With international currencies at different values, I’d feel better not constraining people to a set range. Use your own judgement regarding how much to spend, but I’d say a minimum of $15 is probably a good idea, just so that no one gets short-changed.

If you’d like to add a participant button to your blog sidebar, you can grab this one, and link it back to Laura's post:

Image by FlamingText.com

The Speech

2010-09-19T22:29:00.000-05:00

A couple weekends ago, I had the privilege of being a part of one of my best friends weddings. One of the duties of being maid of honor is to prepare a speech to the bride and groom. Honestly, I was told that I wasn't going to have to speak at the rehearsal dinner, I was a tad disappointed. Not that I'm an amazing speaker, but because there was a lot that I wanted to say to this incredibly special couple. Come to find out, I did have to deliver a quick speech at the rehearsal dinner afterall. Luckily, neither I, nor the best man was aware, so neither of us had anything prepared. So, after he delievered a quick speech, I followed in suit. What I said, was a very watered down version of this. If I'd had time to prepare, I would have said something along these lines.

I met Robyn in 2002 while working summer camp. God knew what he was doing when we got paired together as prayer partners and through that experience became very good friends. That summer, we shared some pretty big stuff with each other, but nothing brought us closer together than her upcoming trip to China. Over the next year, we emailed, chatted online, and prayed for each other and through those experiences, our friendship grew.

Our love of movies, music, and all things pop culture only brought us closer together.

Somehow while Robyn was in Washington State for seminary, I planted an idea that we needed to move to Nashville. It worked. While Nashville didn't seem to suit Robyn the way I had hoped it would, we had a great time living together.

She's always been there for me. Whether it was just hanging out, going with me to watch bands in Nashville, or being a shoulder to cry on when my father passed away.

After Robyn and Chris got engaged, I came to Little Rock to visit and to meet the man of her dreams. When she asked me what I thought, my words of wisdom were "If the biggest struggle in your marriage is that he's a neat freak and you're messy, then I think you'll be doing good." Of course I was kidding...kind of. But in all seriousness, I've never seen Robyn get so excited about a boy. From the moment I first heard mention of Chris, she would get so excited when she talked about him. I'll admit, at first, I was a little leary about the whole thing. But once I met Chris and spent time with the two of them together, I knew that they were perfect for each other. And I wouldn't say that about just anyone.

Robyn and Chris, I'm excited that you have found new lifelong friends in each other. I pray that God continues to bless your friendship through prayer. Just as he did with mine and Robyn's friendship so many years ago.

Cold Hearted Snake

2010-09-09T22:02:00.001-05:00

In college, a guy that I dated for a brief couple months told me that I was "cold hearted and closed off and unmotional." They may not have been that exact order, but those were the words. At the time, I remember thinking that he was absolutely ludacris because he was one of the most emotional guys I'd ever met in my life. Mostly because as he told me that, he was holding back tears, but also because that was the second time in a short time that I'd seen him cry. But truthfully, as much as me and my friends made jokes about it, we all knew it was true.

I've never been much of a crier. I think logically and rationally. I follow through on committments. I'm loyal. I've never been emotional. And I don't think these are things that will ever change. I think I've always been that way. As a child, I was always prepared. I had a fire evacuation plan. I forced my mom and dad practice with me. I watched Rescue 911 which taught me to have my plan for what I would do if someone broke in my house. No one taught me to behave this way, it's just how I've always been.

My team at work recently took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as a fun exercise to learn more about each other. I've taken this before, and my results couldn't be more accurate. Personality tests always intrigue me. Mostly because they always peg me for exactly who I am. I love them.

Apparently, I'm a very strong ESTJ which means that I had very high scores for each of the four dichotomies.

I believe this pretty much sums me up:

The Guardian

As an ESTJ, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion.

ESTJs live in a world of facts and concrete needs. They live in the present, with their eye constantly scanning their personal environment to make sure that everything is running smoothly and systematically. They honor traditions and laws, and have a clear set of standards and beliefs. They expect the same of others, and have no patience or understanding of individuals who do not value these systems. They value competence and efficiency, and like to see quick results for their efforts.
ESTJs are take-charge people. They have such a clear vision of the way that things should be, that they naturally step into leadership roles. They are self-confident and aggressive. They are extremely talented at devising systems and plans for action, and at being able to see what steps need to be taken to complete a specific task. They can sometimes be very demanding and critical, because they have such strongly held beliefs, and are likely to express themselves without reserve if they feel someone isn't meeting their standards. But at least their expressions can be taken at face-value, because the ESTJ is extremely straight-forward and honest.

The ESTJ is usually a model citizen, and pillar of the community. He or she takes their commitments seriously, and follows their own standards of "good citizenship" to the letter. ESTJ enjoys interacting with people, and likes to have fun. ESTJs can be very boisterous and fun at social events, especially activities which are focused on the family, community, or work.

The ESTJ needs to watch out for the tendency to be too rigid, and to become overly detail-oriented. Since they put a lot of weight in their own beliefs, it's important that they remember to value other people's input and opinions. If they neglect their Feeling side, they may have a problem with fulfilling other's needs for intimacy, and may unknowingly hurt people's feelings by applying logic and reason to situations which demand more emotional sensitivity.

When bogged down by stress, an ESTJ often feels isolated from others. They feel as if they are misunderstood and undervalued, and that their efforts are taken for granted. Although normally the ESTJ is very verbal and doesn't have any problem expressing themself, when under stress they have a hard time putting their feelings into words and communicating them to others.

ESTJs value security and social order above all else, and feel obligated to do all that they can to enhance and promote these goals. They will mow the lawn, vote, join the PTA, attend home owners association meetings, and generally do anything that they can to promote personal and social security.

The ESTJ puts forth a lot of effort in almost everything that they do. They will do everything that they think should be done in their job, marriage, and community with a good amount of energy. He or she is conscientious, practical, realistic, and dependable. While the ESTJ will dutifully do everything that is important to work towards a particular cause or goal, they might not naturally see or value the importance of goals which are outside of their practical scope. However, if the ESTJ is able to see the relevance of such goals to practical concerns, you can bet that they'll put every effort into understanding them and incorporating them into their quest for clarity and security.

Although ESTJs typically put their family above their friends, they do enjoy and value their friendships. They enjoy having fun and spending time with others, especially those who share their interests and pursuits. They are likely to choose to spend free time with friends pursuing some activity or hobby - probably athletic or sports-oriented. They're likely to socialize quite a bit with their own family members, and with people who belong to the same organization or institution as the ESTJ.

ESTJs are usually status-conscious, and will respect others who they feel have acheived a high degree of success in our society. Although ESTJs have very high standards for behavior, and believe that they know what is appropriate and best in any given situation, they're likely to be less controlling with those who they feel are powerful individuals.

ESTJs will have little patience with people who seem frivolous or extremely untraditional. Conversely, those who live entirely in the current moment (Sensing Perceivers) may not appreciate the ESTJ's strong judgments, which may seem overly traditional to them. ESTJs are likely to bond best with other ESTJ, or with people of any type, if they share a common interest or goal.

ESTJs tend to be enthusiastic, sharp, and witty. They like to hear good jokes, and enjoy telling them as well. They're valued by their friends for being dependable and upbeat, and easily engaged in various pursuits.

The ESTJ is generally very opinionated, and likes to appear authoritative and in charge. They may temper this tendency when around other ESTJs whom they value. Around other types, this tendency may cause them to be abrupt and direct, to the point where they inadvertantly step on people's toes.

(Taken from http://www.personalitypage.com/html/ESTJ.html)

Light at the end of the tunnel

2010-08-09T21:50:00.006-05:00

There's finally a little light at the end of this tunnel. It's not bright, but it's there. And it gives me a glimmer of hope. It may be a small glimmer...but I'll take it.

Stay tuned.

The All Purpose Toy

2010-07-28T20:00:00.006-05:00

In order to promote their breakfast muffin sandwich and their new breakfast dollar menu, Burger King has a new commercial that just brought back images of one of my most traumatic childhood memories.

In this commercial, there are two guys standing in a desert looking area. The guy who just made a smart decision by buying his breakfast muffin off the new dollar menu is squished inside a large tire. The other guy stands behind him verifying how smart he is and that due to saving money, he can now afford to make dumb decisions. Then without warning, he gives the tire the ol' heave ho and rolls his friend down the hill. I looked for the video on you tube, but unfortunatley I couldn't find it.

When I was about six years old, my cousins inherited an inner tube from a large tractor tire. I'm not quite sure how they came into such an amazing inheritance, but it was a favorite play thing for quite some time. This was such a multipurpose toy and with the imaginations of two 6 year olds and an 10 year old, there was always some new way to play with it.

My personal favorite was to use the inner tube as a trampoline. It was especially fun if someone was across from you to bounce you up even higher. But, my cousins, being the boys they were, quickly grew tired of using it as a trampoline. So, they began to find new uses for it. We played human bowling where you would roll it at the kids trying to run from it (on second hand, maybe it was a little more like inner tube dodgeball). We took it to the lake and swam with it. We used it like a basketball hoop. We laid around on it and used it like a lawn chair. For that entire summer, I coveted that inner tube. I thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Until one day.

We were rolling it around the front yard of their house when they convinced me to get inside. it may have had something to do with the fact I was the only one small enough to actually fit in it. Or, it may have been that I was the only one they could convince to do it. I was a fairly shy child, but I could be talked into anything by the right people. Those cousins were the right people. I remember climbing inside. I was terrified. But very gently and very slowly, they rolled me around the front yard. It was kind of fun. I climbed out and we continued to roll the inner tube around the house and into the backyard. Again, they convinced me to climb in so they could roll me down the hill. Now, this hill was probably the length of at least two houses. It was one of those hills that all the neighborhood kids came out to sled on when it snowed.

And my cousins wanted to roll me down it. In an inner tube.

My older cousin told me that he'd go down to the bottom of the hill and be there to catch me. He was always standing up for me and very over protective and always watching out for me being the only girl. I'm sure I told them that I didn't want to do it. And I'm sure there was some name calling involved. And I'm sure I got my feelings hurt.

But, I did what any seven year old girl who trusted her cousins with her life would do. I let them roll me down a hill in a huge black inner tube.

Now, the memory gets a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty certain the moment the tire left my cousin's hands the tears started to flow. I do remember wanting to jump out, but I was afraid I would get hurt. So I stayed put inside the tire. I let it roll me for what seemed like forever. And then, I crashed. Not into my cousins arms as promised, but into a huge wooden fence post. And it hurt. And I cried. And my cousins took off running. I'm pretty sure that was about the same time my mom came running out the back door.

I learned that day that it was okay to say no to things I didn't want to do. It's definitely a lesson I've had to teach myself over and over these last 23 years. Occasionally, it's something I still have a hard time with. Especially having a hard time disappointing others. But I've come a long way since that day I volunteered to get rolled down a hill in a huge inner tube.

And just as a side note, I could probably pin point this story as having something to do with some of my trust issues. :)

White Water Adventure

2010-07-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I took a much needed break from studying and went white water rafting with the youth. I was pretty excited about this trip. Mostly because the last time I went white water rafting I was their age. It was the summer after I graduated high school.

Everyone had a great time. And we brought everyone back safely.

Here’s some pictures of our white water adventure.

Candle Holders For a Cause

2010-07-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

My college friends Jenny and Stuart are begining to raise money for thier adoption process. They already have 18 month old twins (who are stinkin' adorable!) and are planning on expanding their family by adopting from Ethiopia.

In order to raise money, they'll be selling candle holders that are perfect for tealights or votives. Head on over to their blog and help support an amazing family! You can place orders through their blog, or you can email jennyborders@gmail.com for more info.

Authenticity

2010-07-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

Last week we had a youth event for local missions. My church has had a very strong presence in the flood clean up over the last couple months. And there is still plenty of work to be done. This was a three day event where they helped with flood relief during the day, hung out during the afternoons, and had worship at night, followed by more time to hang out and get to know each other.

Due to having a 8-5 (or 9-6, depending on the day) job, I was unable to be around for the full event. Though I would have much rather been installing dry wall with those kids than what I was really doing. I was able to stop by the church Wednesday night to help serve dinner and be there for worship and to hang out for a bit. I was asked if I could help lead the discussion for our campus after worship. Little did I know what that meant.

At the end of worship, these 25 middle and high school kids gather around the steps of the stage to discuss confession and sin. And that's when the conversation turned incredibly real. I wasn't expecting the the things we discussed to surface, but it was the most real, raw, authentic conversation I've heard in a long time. One by one, they opened up their hearts and shared with other people, what was really going on. What they were really struggling with. What they were really afraid of.

And one by one, I saw these kids breathe a little easier. I could physically see that their load was lighter. So why is confession something that doesn't seem to get much attention. Why do we try to fix things ourselves? Why are we so afraid to be completely authentic?

After thinking about it for a few days, I really think that it's fear.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of not being loved.

Fear of failure.

We should be able to come together with other believers and be truly authentic. And I'm so proud of that group of students for opening up and letting others see into the deepest, grittiest part of their unexposed hearts.

Chicago...In Pictures

2010-07-10T20:42:00.001-05:00

Cloud Gate Against the City

The reflection of the city in Cloud Gate

Me at Buckingham Fountain

I loved seeing the reflections of all
the buildings on the river

View from the womens bathroom on the

96th floor of the John Hancock Center

View from the Signature Lounge on the 96th

Floor of the John Hancock Center

John Hancock Center

Chicago, Here I Come!

2010-07-01T19:27:00.000-05:00

I was at lunch last week with a co-worker, telling her that I had $130 toward a flight that was about to expire and that the opportunity to use it hadn’t presented itself. I had originally planned on using it for my trip to San Antonio in August, but when I tried to apply it toward that ticket, it told me that it was going to expire July 8. At that point, I only had three weeks to find a use for it. I had asked a few friends if they’d be interested in going to Chicago (or anywhere, but Chicago was the cheapest option) over a weekend, but none of them could work it out with their schedules or finances. So at that point, it seemed like I’d be traveling alone, or it would just expire and go to waste.

Until that moment, sitting in a barbeque joint across from my co-worker, hearing her say, “I’m not doing anything fourth of July weekend… I could go with you.”

Thirty minutes later, plane tickets had been purchased and we will be on our way to Chicago in just days!

What's the one thing I have to do while I'm there?!

My Mom Is Cooler Than Your Mom!

2010-06-28T19:15:00.001-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I've been in a funk. It's not been pretty.

This weekend I went and hung out with my mom. It was one of those trips where I felt like I needed to remember who I was. Where I came from. Why I am who I am. Where my roots are. Where I belong. That I’m loved.

I needed to be reminded that life isn’t quite as difficult as I’ve been making it out to be.

And who better to do that than my mom! My mom and I have a very good relationship. It’s not always been that way, but for the last six or seven years, she’s been one of my closest friends. I know there are a lot of people who can’t call their mom a friend. And for that, I will count my blessings. I definitely went through the bratty teenager period where my mom embarrassed me and left me mortified beyond belief just by volunteering to go on a school field trip. But those years are long behind us. I now realize that I should have thought it was cool that all my friends loved my mom growing up and everyone always wanted to ride with her instead of other moms. But at the time, I thought it was ridiculous…because mom’s aren’t cool.

So, I went to visit the one person who knows me better than anyone.

Saturday morning we went to pick up some coffee to start off our day. Does she know me, or what? She had planned for us to get shoulder massages at her salon. Seriously, what better way is there to start your day other than coffee and massages?

From there, we went shopping. Then, we moved on to a short road trip north to hit the casino. I think it’s the first time I’ve actually lost money, but it was still super fun (I should have known considering I haven’t been having the greatest luck lately). Luckily, mom came out ahead. We headed back home to have dinner with my youngest brother.

Then, we headed to a concert in the park for The Guess Who and Grand Funk Railroad. Now, I am very aware that most people my age do not know who either of these bands are. But, I grew up listening to the oldies. We’d put on old records and dance around the living room. We’d put on old records and clean the house. We’d put on old records and cook dinner (I think you get the point). So, attending this concert in the park was something that just seemed natural. I may have been one of ten people under the age of 40, but still. My mom had a good time…and so did I.

I had a great time just hanging out, talking, laughing, and being around my mom. When I left, my heart felt lighter, I had more freckles, I owned some new clothes, I had less stress, and I had a cute pedicure.

29

2010-06-15T23:20:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, one of my favorite activities in the whole world was playing house. Part of the appeal was pretending to be whoever you wanted to be. You could create your name, age, occupation, how many kids you had, who you were married to. Most often my name was Stephanie, I was married to Joey McIntyre, and had two kids (my two favorite Cabbage Patch Kids - Edrick and Angela). I can’t tell you how often this scenario was replayed, but I’m sure it was more than you care to know. I was a grown up, doing grown up things. Driving, grocery shopping, using a credit card, writing checks, wearing high heels. I loved every minute of it.

Now that I am a grown up, it doesn’t seem quite so fun. My legal name was never changed, I still go by Amy. I’m not married to the youngest member of New Kids on the Block. Driving was fun for a while (especially when I was 16!), but now that I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s merely a way of transportation (except on that perfect day with the windows rolled down, scream singing to the radio). Grocery shopping is not nearly as fun, especially when you’re spending REAL money. And shopping just so you can prepare a meal and eat alone is even more depressing (Where is Joey?). I found out in college that using a credit card definitely has its consequences and that free tee shirt is definitely not worth risking your credit score. Writing checks out of an account you don’t have much money in has never fallen into my fun category. However, wearing high heels is still pretty fun. Especially when you’re only 5’4”.

All this to say, growing up hasn’t quite been the whirlwind of fun and adventure I thought it would be. Yes, there are moments when I’m perfectly content. Yes, I’ve accomplished a lot in my 29 years of life. I just feel like there’s more out there. More to be discovered. More adventure to be had. And I’m ready. Because next year, I’ll be 30. And I can’t remember EVER pretending to be 30.

Who knows. Maybe this will be the year that I meet my Joey McIntyre.

Happy 29th Year

2010-06-15T21:13:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, one of my favorite activities in the whole world was playing house. Part of the appeal was pretending to be whoever you wanted to be. You could create your name, age, occupation, how many kids you had, who you were married to. Most often my name was Stephanie, I was married to Joey McIntyre, and had two kids (my two favorite Cabbage Patch Kids - Edrick and Angela). I can’t tell you how often this scenario was replayed, but I’m sure it was more than you care to know. In that world, I was a grown up, doing grown up things. Driving, grocery shopping, using a credit card, writing checks, wearing high heels. I loved every minute of it.

Now that I am a grown up, it doesn’t seem quite so fun. My legal name is still Amy. I’m not married to the youngest member of New Kids on the Block. Driving was fun for a while (especially when I was 16!), but now that I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s merely a means of transportation (except on that perfect day with the windows rolled down, scream singing to the radio). Grocery shopping is not nearly as fun, especially when you’re spending REAL money. And shopping just so you can prepare a meal and eat alone is even more depressing (Where is Joey?!?). I found out in college that using a credit card definitely has its consequences and that the free tee shirt is definitely not worth risking your credit score. Writing checks out of an account that doesn't contain much money and spending the next few days wondering how much money you don't have has never fallen into my fun category. However, wearing high heels is still pretty fun. Especially when you’re only 5’4”.

All this to say, growing up hasn’t quite been the whirlwind of fun and adventure I thought it would be. Yes, there are moments when I’m perfectly content. Yes, I’ve accomplished a lot in my 29 years of life. Yes, I have amazing family and friends in my life. Yes, I own a home. I just feel like there’s more out there. More to be discovered. More adventure to be had. And I’m ready. Because next year, I’ll be 30. And I can’t remember EVER pretending to be 30.

So this year, I want to stop living in the future and focus on embracing the moments that are thrown my way.

Who knows. Maybe this will be the year that I meet my Joey McIntyre.

View From the Top

2010-06-11T22:52:00.000-05:00

I’ve had a rough couple months. And when I say “rough” I mean the “crawl into bed and never get out” kind of rough.

I’m by no means the kind of girl that everything falls into my lap. But it seems as of late, it seems like every turn I take I’m getting punched in the face, or the gut, or any other place that it would hurt to get punched. I believe most of us refer to these times as valleys.

Valley: In geology, a valley is a depression with predominant extent in one direction.

Depressing, huh?

And as depressing as it is, I feel like it’s where I’ve been the last couple months and it couldn’t be more descriptive.

I’ve been stressed out and stretched physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m exhausted.

So I ask you this. When you find yourself in the valley with the steep walls and narrow bottoms trying to take over your every breath, where is it that you turn? I know the Sunday school answers. But honestly, where is it that you turn? As easy as the question should be to answer, if I’m 100% honest with myself, my answer is not the same answer I would have provided as a vacation bible school as a 10 year old. Sadly, my answer would include friends, family, tv, movies, eating, working, pretty much anything to occupy my time. Anything that I could use to avoid facing the truth.

I’ve heard the expression “You must go through the valleys before you can stand on the mountain.” It just seems I’ve found myself halfway across the world on a pretty ridiculous hike when I was only planning on going outside to check the mail in my flip flops. But I’m really ready to see that view from the top.

Surgery Smurgery

2010-05-17T15:30:00.001-05:00

Surgery over. It sucked. As prepared as I was for it, surgery pretty much kicked my butt. I knew that an adult tonsillectomy would take more time to heal from. I knew the recovery process wouldn’t be pleasant. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to eat. I knew it would be incredibly painful. But somewhere along the way, I thought I was above it. I thought I was Superwoman. I thought I’d bounce right back to being myself.

Lesson learned the hard way.

Recovery was not. As a matter of fact, the first four and a half days I could only drink water or eat ice chips. After my first few failed attempts, I wasn’t even interested in trying to keep anything down. I slept for 23 hours a day. Finally, on day five, I was successful in eating a very small bowl of cream of wheat. On day five, I also left my bed for longer than 30 minutes. SUCCESS was mine.

In all honesty, the pain wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, but the fatigue has been almost unbearable. I can’t stay up without napping several times a day. I shower, walk around, leave the house, or do practically anything without being completely exhausted by the time I’m done.

It’s not something I EVER want to do again…and it’s not something I would wish on anyone.

My mom is gone. Honestly, I wish she was staying for a few more days, but I think two weeks was really all she could handle of my whining whispers, pathetic eyes, and basins full of my “failed attempts” at eating.

Enough With the Googling

2010-04-12T22:03:00.004-05:00

My tonsillectomy has been scheduled since the beginning of February. But it's just now starting to become real.

It's been two months of me casually mentioning in conversation that I'm having surgery, but until today, it didn't really seem real. I'm not sure why it hit me today, but I think that I realized that there's only a little over two weeks left on the calendar to actually get everything done.

I found one very helpful website with lots of valuable information. But I had to quit googling after I came across a video that I could only watch the first 15 seconds of. Then, I decided no more googling. I will allow myself to visit the one website and that's it. If I have any other questions, I have to rely on the doctor.

I'm sure there will be more on this soon.

At Least I Smell Good

2010-04-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, I was in Target after a long day at work. I was wearing a pair of cute new shoes. I just needed a few things, so I was just planning on a quick trip in and out. I walked into the soap aisle right as someone else was walking out the other side. I walked toward the body wash I wanted and right as I went to grab it, a bottle fell off the top shelf, busted, and splattered everywhere.

Everywhere.

All over the floor. All over my pants. All over my new shoes.

It all happened so fast, I wasn't even entirely sure what happened.

About that time, a Target employee walked by the end of the row with another guest. I tried to get her attention without trying to slip on the mess, but was unsuccessful. Another employee walked around the corner about the same time. I'm sure she saw the distress in my eyes. She told me she'd be right back. I stood in the aisle by myself, holding a hand basket with nothing in it, with a full bottle of spilled body wash covering me from the waist down, and surrounding me in large puddles. I'm sure I looked like a real mess to those walking by. She appeared again a moment later with a large roll of paper towels. She handed me a bunch. I started wiping at my pants and shoes and she started cleaning up the floor. I thanked her for her help, grabbed the body wash I wanted and high tailed it to the counter to get out of there.

Oh, the things that happen to me.

Seriously.

You can't tell me that these aren't cute...

2010-03-30T21:04:00.003-05:00

Seriously.

Adorable.

DWTS Recap 3.29

2010-03-29T21:17:00.004-05:00

Tonight, I'm back...blogging live for Dancing With The Stars.

First up tonight, Shannen and Mark. I really want them to do well. I really love the jive. I think that Shannen is about to show the judges that she really wants it. I'm guessing there will be improvement. And they're off. She actually looks like she's having a great time. They looked good. I think she definitely improved.

Aiden and Edyta. I'm already ready for them to go home and they haven't danced yet. Edyta is acting like a baby during these rehearsals. And they're off for the fox trot. Edyta is wearing a lot more clothing this week, so that's a plus. Aiden looks incredibly uncomfortable. It actually seems like he's keeping up with her though. He danced fine, but not great. Oh, apparently Edyta tried to beat him up with her elbows during the dance. I didn't really notice. Overall, decent. Maybe he won't be the first kicked off afterall.

Evan and Anna. I'm excited they're doing the jive. I really like his Danny Zucco outfit. They look pretty strong. He looks very long and lanky, but clean. LOVED LOVED LOVED it. This is exactly what I was expecting all along from them. I'm guessing they'll only continue to get better. The judges seem to agree. I love that Bruno mentioned Grease Lightning! Exactly what I was thinking. Brooke Burke made a very Samanatha Harris joke when she was trying to make a joke about cheesecake. They all just stared at her with no comment.

Nicey and Louis. She CRACKS me up. Not a huge fan of her outfit, but she actually looks very elegant. I loved the lip syncing at the end by Nicey. It definitely showed a little character. I just wasn't expecting her to be able to pull off the gracefulness. She did an amazing job! I can't wait to see what Louis has in store for their dances in the next couple weeks.

Jake and Chelsie. Love the song. Don't love him. He seems like he's improved, but he's not great. He's dancing like he really wants it and he looks like he's having fun, but it's not great dancing. The judges seem to like him though. Brooke keeps asking about relationships like she's expecting a couple to tell her they're hooking up. The judges didn't score them as high as I thought they would, so I guess we'll see.

Buzz and Ashly. I love him. I wish he was an amazing dancer so he could stick around somewhere. He's just so adorable. How many astronaut shirts does he have? I think up to this point I've counted at least four. I love that he had her draw a map of the steps. How funny is that? I still think he reminds me of a grandfather at the wedding. I will say this...he's really trying. I mean, really, really trying. Can we just keep him around for entertainment? :) I love that the judges aren't mean to him. I mean, how could you be? He seems a little disappointed in his score. But he's just so darn cute! He gets a 10 in my heart!

Nichole and Derek. I think she started out a little weak, but she definitely brought it. I'm a fan. I do find it a little funny that she was concerned about Len not liking it and she was right. I think Carrie Ann and Bruno's excitement make up for it though! Oh, yay! Two 10s. And the first of the season.

Erin and Maks. I love that Erin is feisty with Maks. It's funny. Maks got a haircut...no fauxhawk tonight. She looks very elegant and it doesn't look forced. I thought she would look a little more awkward in the traditional ballroom dances, but she did a good job. I still think they're hooking up. Len definitely put her in her place.

Pamela and Damian. She was definitely channeling Marilyn. I hate that she's better than I was expecting. With her Marilyn getup. I barely noticed it was her. But I think that's probably the point. "I think everyone's seen all the sides of Pamela" may be the best quote of the night.

Chad and Cheryl. Oh...maybe they're hooking up. They're so cute! I wasn't expecting to like him very much, but I do. He's so adorable. His dancing is not good though. His posture is really bad. They need to use that connection that him and Cheryl have to their advantage. Aww...they seem so sad in the interview backstage.

Kate and Tony. Kate is being a whiny baby. Wow. Even Tony doesn't like her. What's with this "To be continued" crap? Oh. Wow. She's awful. I'm pretty sure she forgot that she was supposed to be dancing. She was kind of just standing there with her feet flailing about. That was pretty bad. She may be going home.

Tonight's favorites:
Evan and Anna
Nicole and Derek
Erin and Maks

Least favorite:
Jake and Chelsie
Kate and Tony
Buzz and Ashly

Who knows what will happen. I guess we'll see tomorrow night.

Dancing With the Stars Recap!

2010-03-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

I’ve been super excited about this season since it was announced. Mostly because the only one I didn’t know of was the soap star. I think part of the reason I love it so much, is that it takes the has beens and makes them hot again. Or at least for a minute or two. I was also interested in seeing Brooke Burke’s interview skills.

Before watching the show, my top picks were Evan Lysacek, Nicole Scherzinger, and Erin Andrews (but that is mainly so Maks doesn’t have an early exit). Evan clearly already has the ability to produce clean, straight lines with his skating…and Nicole already has dancing ability.

First off, I was a little confused about the new “greenroom.” That’s fine that you want to switch it up, but the new celebriquarium seemed to produce a more uptight group of contestants. I was a bigger fan when they could just chill on the couch…but I digress.

First off, Chad Ochocinco. He was actually better than I expected him to be. Who knew the dude was so skinny. I think he’ll be fairly entertaining to watch if he can stick around long enough (and I’m assuming he will). And I love that he’s dancing with Cheryl. Love her…hated her outfit.

Next up…Shannen Doherty. Of course, I kept thinking of ol’ Jim Walsh when she was talking about doing the show for her dad. She’s dancing with Mark, which will be her saving grace. She didn’t seem that great, but decent. Of course, I’m not usually a fan of the waltzes.

Erin and Maks. I was hoping for big things for them. Based on their interview pre-dance, did anyone else think they may be hooking up? Just give it time, it’ll happen. I thought she did a really good job, especially for the first week.

Jake the Bachelor, I will not accept your rose. Chelsie hasn’t been around long, but I really think she’s adorable and I’m a little annoyed she didn’t get a better partner. And by better, I mean…someone I actually care about. He actually did better than expected, but I could barely pay attention because of that horrible song pick. Yeah, yeah, I get it. You hand out roses. That’s what you do. But Kiss From a Rose is my absolute LEAST favorite song in the world. GAG.

Nicey Nash up next. She is hilarious, so I was expecting her to bring that with her. And she didn’t disappoint. I love that she told Louis that she didn’t want to lose any of her jiggly parts. Haha. She danced better than I was expecting. She definitely brought her personality to the dance floor. And what’s even better, she dedicated her dance to me. Or, ehh…to thick girls everywhere. I have a feeling she’ll stick around for a while.

Evan and Anna. I was actually expecting Evan to blow the other competition out of the water. It was somewhat disappointing. He looked a little awkward, but overall, I thought he did a good job. If he can master those turns, maybe he’ll be able to pull it off afterall.

Buzz. Where do I even start. He was absolutely adorable. But he can’t dance. He reminded me of someone’s grandpa having a good time with a bridesmaid at his granddaughter’s wedding. Cute. I mean, he is 80 years old. And to give him credit, he’s better than Cloris was. And of course, he gets props for trying to moonwalk.

Nicole and Derek. SOLID…just as expected. I hated that she had Kleenex strapped to her arms, but her dance alone made up for that. What was that I said about the waltzes? I changed my mind. I loved this one.

I’m only referring to Aiden from here on out as the soap guy. I loved how he said something about how everyone knows him from All My Children. Nope, sure don’t. Dancing with Edyta didn’t seem to help him any either. Looks like he may be the first to go. What in the world was Edyta wearing? Side note: I love that Edyta always wears legwarmers in rehersal. It’s like she’s hanging on to the 80s for dear life. And of course that makes my heart happy!

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani. Just out of curiosity, who is watching all those kids? I wasn’t expecting much from her at all. I also wasn’t expecting that boob job. Clearly, she’s got lots of insecurities. I’m assuming that’s the side of her we’ll see throughout the show. Not a fan. Side Note: I still think Tony’s best pairing was with Sara Evans.

And last, but certainly not least. CJ. I mean, Pam Anderson. I don’t think I ever really noticed that Pam’s waist is smaller than one of my thighs. Again, I wasn’t expecting much. I was thinking that she’d be on the Holly Madison level, but she proved that she may be able to hold her own. At least for a few more weeks.

A quick recap:
There were lots of rhinestones.
Brooke’s hosting skills are already better than Samantha’s ever were.
Len seemed to be incredibly grumpy last night.
Bruno was easily excitable.
Maks had Erin pinching Tom’s butt.
The celebriquarium was awkward. And I think Tom was required to say “celebriquarium” at least 12 times.

I think my friend Adam summed it up best by saying, “um...I think Dancing with the Stars substituted free boob jobs instead of spray tans this season. Just sayin'.”

This early, it’s hard to tell who’s got the skills to grab that mirrorball trophy. I’d definitely keep my top picks with Evan and Nicole. Clearly, Buzz should be the first to go, but the old person never gets voted off early. My guess is that soap guy will be the first to go.

I love Cousins!

2010-03-20T23:24:00.002-05:00

I saw this on KSR's website and I LOVE it!

I'll say it again. I'm glad Kentucky has shown up for this tournament! GO CATS!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-03-18T21:47:00.004-05:00

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. The first day of March Madness.

Yes, I'm a little crazy.

My friends don't understand why I'd rather watch basketball than hang out with them.

There's just something about it that I absolutely love!

I'm not a crazy basketball fan, but I LOVE March Madness. The only team I really follow throughout the year is Kentucky. And let me tell you. It's been our year! With the oncoming of Calipari and the amazing recruiting class, we've definitely had our share of good fortune this year. Something I haven't seen in full force in over ten years!

So with all that to say, I'm super excited that when I filled out my bracket, I didn't even hesitate, or feel it was impossible when I wrote Kentucky into that final championship game.

Go CATS!

Who are you rooting for?

Who do you want to see in that championship game?

Who is your final pick?

My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2010-02-27T15:51:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was a VERY. BAD. DAY.

I've been under a lot of stress lately. As crazy as it sounds, I actually don't even realize it until I start getting extereme headaches that border on migraines and I can feel the stress in my neck. Yesterday was one of those days. It seemed like nothing was going right. I was hurting people's feelings (not on purpose!). There wasn't enough time in the day. It was just one thing after the next. All day long.

There were several things that almost led to tears.

I grabbed my computer bag out of the front seat of my car only to get my bad thumb caught in the strap. It hurt. BAD. I had tears in my eyes. I was afraid to pull back the band-aid and look. I'll spare you the details, but it's definitely going to add to the healing process.

I thought retail therapy would help. I finally went through my closet several weeks ago and got rid of EVERYTHING that gets on my nerves when I wear it. It actually wiped my closet clean. Now that winter is lingering, it doesn't seem like it was the brightest decision I've ever made, but that's a whole different story. I couldn't find anything I liked at the first three stores I went in. So, I decided to venture to the mall.

That's when real tragedy struck.

I was walking into the mall when my phone flew out of my hand and landed about a foot in front of me on the sidewalk. Not sure exactly what happened because it all happened fairly quickly. What I do know is that it didn't seem to hit the ground that hard, but when I picked it up, the glass was shattered. Not just a crack or two. More like 72.

I don't even want to admit all the relationship mishaps me and my iphone have been through. And I don't want to admit how many I've had in my possesion. But this isn't the first run-in I've had. If you're interested, you can read about the time my iphone jumed in the toilet here. Or how I couldn't live without it here, here, or here.

The point is, I know it's a "thing" and I shouldn't be as attached to it as I am. But the fact of the matter is, I am. I love it with every fiber of my being, but I do know that we cannot continue this relationship like this. It's just not healthy!

Conversations That Stick With You

2010-02-17T22:21:00.006-06:00

Today I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a friend who lost his 18 year old brother just a few short weeks ago.

When I first found out, I wanted to do something, but I felt like I didn't have anything to offer. I've lost a family member. It's incredibly hard. And there's not much anyone can say to you that makes you feel better. To be completely honest, you don't really remember much of what anyone says during that time. I mean, you can say, "I'm sorry." but that's about all. In moments like that, nothing else really seems to matter.

I remember sitting down with this friend at a coffee shop several weeks after my dad died in 2006. I remember telling him this story from the funeral.

I was sitting next to my brothers with huge tears in my eyes and Kleenex stuffed in my hand. This horrible version of On Eagles Wings started playing. It had always been one of my dad's favorites. But this version was unbearable. It was like nails scraping against a chalkboard. My brothers and I started laughing...uncontrollably. I remember someone from the row behind us reaching up and putting their hand on my brother's back because they thought he was upset. We just sat there, laughing through tears. It felt so irreverant, but so appropriate all at the same time. My dad always hated when people who couldn't really sing would canter at church. I remember growing up, I always knew when a snide remark was coming based on the first few words of a song. And there we were at his own funeral listening to this awful rendition of one of his favorite songs. All we could do was laugh.

After I told my friend the story, he just looked at me through sips of his coffee, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, that's life. Sometimes it's pretty funny."

I have no idea why I remember that conversation, but it's one of the few from that time that I actually remember very vividly.

In the card I send him a few weeks back, I reminded my friend of that conversation and what he said to me and how it has stuck with me all these years. I told him that through the pain, I was praying that him and his family could remember the good times and remember to laugh...because sometimes, life is funny.

We talked today for a while about life and death and taking it all for granted. But through it all, I love that it was his own words that spoke to him more than anything else.

It's also funny that tonight, before I started this entry, I went back and read some of my posts from that time in my life (there aren't many because it was such a private time, I mostly used my journal). I found this excerpt from a prayer on the night my father died (To read the entire post, click here. ):

"Remind me to laugh at the little things.

Allow me to appreciate and savor the good times."

Looking back on it, it makes me so thankful that God answered that prayer. Today, I'm so thankful for love and laughter and those conversations that stick with you.

I LOVE the Olympics!

2010-02-13T15:01:00.004-06:00

Last night, we had an Olympic party during the opening ceremonies. It was soooo much fun to kickoff the Olympics!

I'll admit that I'm actually a bigger fan of the Summer Olympics, but I'm not a huge winter fan in general, so it only makes sense. :)

I absolutely love figure skating. It's also super fun to watch speed skating...such a rush. I'm not so sure how I feel about the luge right now.

We love the Olympics!

GO USA!!

Team USA All The Way!

Me and DJ with our Olympic cookies

What's your favorite event?

What a Weekend...

2010-02-09T21:38:00.000-06:00

So, I can't type much...and the reason for that will come soon enough.

This weekend I went to Gatlinburg with the youth. It was a very exhausting trip. We rolled back into town about 5 pm. Kickoff for the Super Bowl was at 5:30.

I was heading over to a friends house, fresh guacamole in tow. I was having some difficulty with the avacados because they weren't quite ripe enough. So I decided to take the "almost ready" guac anyway and just use her food processor when I got there.

I'd literally been there for five minutes. Okay, maybe seven. I grabbed a knife and cut the lime in half. I went to cut along the inside of the lime when something went really wrong. I'm not positive of exactly what happened, but I'll tell you this...Her knives are WAY sharper than mine. And I bled A LOT.

I spent all of halftime debating whether or not it was bad enough for stitches. We quickly realized there were no urgent care facilities open and I would have to go to the ER. Then I remembered that my last tetnus shot was probably when I was a sophomore in high school.

So, off to the ER we went...

Upon arriving, the doctor confirmed that I, in fact, need stitches. That was actually a relief that I'd made the right decision. An hour and ten minutes later, I was signing my release papers with three blue stitches in my thumb.

It doesn't really hurt, it's just kind of difficult to do anything.

I'm sure there will be more to tell as the days go on...

Hives Are For The Bees

2010-01-28T21:08:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend, my sniffles and head congestion turned into a full blown upper respiratory infection. I fell asleep on the couch Sunday around 6pm while watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I woke up to some religious late night show around midnight and went to bed...and stayed in bed...until 9am...when I woke up and called into work. Then, I went back to bed. Until 2 pm. I woke up and called the doctor and was able to get in that afternoon. I was able to get some drugs and head back home for some Gilmore Girls on the couch.

Tuesday night, I went to scratch my neck and noticed there was a welt. I went to look at it in the mirror and realized there were several on my neck in different areas. I pulled the collar of my shirt down and it looked like I was sunburnt with tiny red spots all over my stomach, chest, and arms. I had hives AND a rash. I freaked out and got the little pamphlet thingy that came with my prescription. In uppercase letters and all it's glory, "AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO THIS MEDICINE is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue."

On top of that, I thought it would be a great idea to google it.
NOT
A
GOOD
IDEA
It freaked me out. Then I was afraid to go to bed. I was afraid my throat was going to close up and I'd stop breathing in my sleep.

Needless to say, I made it throught the night and called the doctor first thing when I woke up. An hour later, after being stuck in a teeny tiny room with the most annoying ticking clock ever, it was official.

I'm allergic to penicillin.

UGH. Now I have to fill it out on all that dang paperwork.

Some Random Things I LOVE

2010-01-21T20:19:00.010-06:00

I heart this necklace. I want one.

I'm going to try to make one of these. From Melly and Me.

I also am in love with this. As well as some others on plantsandanimal's site on etsy.

And how adorable is this?

A Very Cool Opportunity

2010-01-12T22:08:00.005-06:00

I saw a retweet about this post earlier and it definitely peaked my interest. So, I went to Michael Hyatt's blog to see what it was all about. The premise is that if you have a blog and you like to read, Thomas Nelson will provide you with a free copy of a book in exchange for a 200 word review on your blog and on a public site (like Amazon).

I thought I'd sign up and give it a try. I mean, I love to read! what do I have to lose? I'm definitely excited about it.

I've chosen this book as my first:

Buried Alive The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue (NelsonFree)
By Roy Hallums

I Survived the Snowpocalypse!

2010-01-07T22:49:00.000-06:00

The craziest thing happened today! A blizzard!

Okay, not really at all. But...that's what everyone was expecting. Or that's what it seems like everyone was expecting.

Well, maybe not everyone.

It is Nashville afterall.

I was laying in bed this morning. The alarm had just gone off and I hit snooze as usual. Then, my cell phone, which was laying in the bed beside me started ringing. It was the automated phone call to say that the office was closed due to inclement weather. I ran to the window and looked out and there was nothing on the ground.

Did I hear the message right?

I logged on and checked my email. There was an email stating that the office was closed. I didn't understand. I was so confused. And at 6am, not a whole lot makes sense, so I went back to bed, expecting the snow to fall anyway. I woke up at 9 and checked the window again. No snow. At this point, I was really confused about what inclement weather we were having.

Around noon, as I was heading out to meet some friends for lunch, I took this picture.

It's what I like to call the Snowpocalypse! I mean, look at all that SNOW!! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the hype Nashville makes about snow and ice. It definitely wasn't a big deal where I grew up!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-02T21:51:00.002-06:00

I had a fairly low-key new year's eve. We opted for a quiet night in that turned into photo booth mania. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Resolutions?

2009-12-31T16:59:00.000-06:00

In 2010, I’d like to:

Run at least three 5ks this year (My first one is scheduled for January 23)
Eat healthier
Read at least 10 books
Take at least one real vacation – preferably a trip to somewhere super fun
Blog more
Love More
Pray More
Worry less
Complain Less
Stress Less

AT's Best Of 2009 List

2009-12-31T16:48:00.000-06:00

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of the year…again. New Year’s Eve. Time to recap 2009.

Best Movies:
1. 500 Days of Summer
2. The Proposal
3. The Hangover
4. He’s Just Not That Into You
5. This Is It
6. The Blind Side

Best New TV Show:
Glee

Best Books:
1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
3. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

Best Concerts:
1. New Kids on the Block!!!!!!
2. Coldplay
3. Death Cab For Cutie
4. Ben Folds
5. Dave Matthews
6. Butch Walker

Memorable Moments
1. Firecracker 5k (July 4th) – My first 5k!
2. Buying my Yaris!
3. Trip to Wheelwright with Cross Point
4. Panama City Beach Vacation with Emily
5. Sara and Ben’s Wedding
6. Camping at Henry Horton

Best Food:
1. Martin’s Barbeque
2. Chuy’s

Best Songs to Dance To:
1. Party in the USA – Miley Cyrus
2. My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
3. So What - Pink
4. Boom Boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas
5. Womanizer – Britney Spears
6. Forever – Drake
7. Knock You Down – Keri Hilson, Kanye West, Ne-Yo
8. Meet Me Halfway – The Black Eyed Peas
9. Evacuate the Dance Floor – Cascada
10. Just Dance – Lady GaGa

Best Albums
1. Glee: The Music Volume 1 & 2
2. John Mayer – Battle Studies
3. The Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)
4. Fearless - Taylor Swift
5. The Fray – The Fray

A Moment in Time I’ll Always Remember:
Hearing about the death of Michael Jackson

A Brief Vacation

2009-12-11T16:00:00.004-06:00

Vacations are never long enough…especially during the holidays.

I did have a great time in Kentucky with my family! I miss them a whole big bunch. I can't wait to have a little more time at Christmas to just hang out and not do much!

Wheelwright

2009-12-07T22:18:00.002-06:00

This weekend I had an opportunity to serve in Wheelwright, KY with Cross Point. Over the last few years I’ve heard a lot about these Wheelwright trips. Our church takes several groups up throughout the year to deliver school supplies, clothing, gifts, and Christmas presents. The annual Christmas party is usually the larger trip. This year, we took close to 100 volunteers, one 26’ U-Haul and two smaller trailers full of stuff, over 30 dozen cookies, and a massive amount of chili.

The primary goal of this trip was to provide a Christmas party for the community and presents to a group of people who would otherwise be unable to have gifts on Christmas morning. I believe Ryan summed it up best when he said, “We are providing hope to a community of people who are void of hope.”

I volunteered to take candid shots during the trip. At first, I wasn’t sure how taking pictures was doing anything to really “further the kingdom.” I got back to work Monday and went out with a friend for lunch. We were talking about the trip, and I mentioned feeling inadequate and that what I did didn’t matter…he responded with “Amy, people that see those pictures see what it’s really like there and then they’ll want to make a difference whether that’s by sending something, volunteering themselves, or praying for them. That’s bigger than anything else.”

Wow.

Thankful for...

2009-11-26T21:59:00.002-06:00

Today, I’m thankful for:

Family
Friends
A job
A place to live

Food
Being able to pay my bills
Clothes
Warmth
The small things
A vacation

Fall Retreat

2009-11-19T21:46:00.004-06:00

I started volunteering with the youth back in September. When I first started I only knew a handful of kids through previous trips, missions projects, and volunteer opportunities throughout the years. This past weekend was the annual fall retreat. I knew it would be a great weekend to truly get to know the hearts of some of these students and actually feel like a leader and not just some creepy older person lurking in the corner.

I have never entered into a weekend like that questioning whether or not God would show up…but it’s always amazing to have my expectations completely blown out of the water. One of our campus pastors was the speaker Friday and Saturday. You could look around the room and just see God working in these student’s lives as he spoke. I heard plenty of stories over the weekend about exactly how he was working, stories of strength and determination…stories of hurt and pain…stories of realization and hope.

It definitely took me back to my high school days. I’m incredibly thankful and appreciative to everyone who volunteered with our youth group. For the leaders who invested in me. I am most certain that if it weren’t for them, my life would have been very different. I can only hope that loving on these students, listening to their stories, sharing in their joy, hurting in their pain, and loving them unconditionally will make not only a difference in their life, but in mine as well.

I’m looking forward to the future of what it means to be involved in this student ministry!

5 Million Minus 1

2009-11-18T21:09:00.004-06:00

Visit my friend Natalie and JT's blog 5 Million Minus 1 and help them raise money for the adoption process!

New Sewing Machine For Me!

2009-10-25T16:56:00.003-05:00

I've been saying forever (and forever, I mean about 5 years) that I want to try to sell crafts as an extra income. I finally took a big step yesterday and bought a sewing machine. I'm excited! I can't wait to start practicing and get to the point where what I invision in my head can be duplicated. Stay tuned! And get ready, because soon...there may even be a website!

Um, I invented Post-Its

2009-10-14T17:43:00.000-05:00

Last week’s Bible Study centered around Philippians 2:14-15.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Last night, we got together for our weekly recap and discussion. I feel like every week of this study has applied directly to me. Dang. I complain A LOT! I often speak before I think (or think through it enough to not get me in trouble). And more times than not, it’s something negative coming out of my mouth. This has become very evident to me in recent weeks.

I have a co-worker who likes to call me “Miss Pessimist” or various similar names. I always correct him, “I’m not a pessimist, I’m a realist.” Either way you spin it, I’m definitely a complainer.

Last night, it seemed like we spent a fair portion of the evening trying to find a loophole in the scripture.
“But what if we’re venting?”
“It’s okay if you’re not talking about someone, right?”
“What if we don’t say it to someone else?”

It definitely says “Do EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing…”
EVERYTHING?
EVERYTHING!

Somewhere along the line of the discussion last night, I came up with a brilliant idea. Every time I open my mouth and complain, I’m going to write down what it is I’m complaining about on a post-it note. Then I’m going to counterbalance it with a prayer written out at the bottom. Next week, we’ll gather with our post-it notes and be able to visually see how much we’ve complained and what we spend our time complaining about. I challenge you to follow along and do the same. I’m hoping that over the course of the week it makes us become conscious of the words that are coming out of our mouths, and in return will cause us to complain less.

Texting Without a Phone

2009-09-27T15:02:00.003-05:00

The things I would have texted you over the last few days if I'd been able:

Anyone want to go to dinner?
Wait...why is Martha Plimpton on Grey's Anatomy?
I'm at your house. Where are you?!
Hope your last day at work is going great!
The girls at the table next to me at Panera are talking about how they only wash their hair every four or five days. Gross!
I can help out Sunday if you need me to.
The Batman signal is circling outside my condo. Seriously.

Instead, none of these ever got sent. :(

I'm hoping to get a new phone tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. I think I can make it 28 more hours. I've already made it 4 days. That's huge! It's like living 4 days without being able to use my fingers.

So Out Of Touch With the World...

2009-09-26T21:49:00.000-05:00

I still don't have a phone. And it's making me realize just how much I really rely on that little thing and how addicted to it I've become.

I took it to the Apple store and the guy who helped me immediately knew it was water damaged by the pink stickers on the inside. So, he set me up an apppointment for Monday at 7. I guess I'm going to have to pay the $200 to get a new one. Because at this point, it's clear that I can't live without one.

I feel so out of touch with the world! I know it sounds like the most ridiculous thing ever, but I feel so sad without it. It's hard to make plans, hard to know what everyone else is doing. I can't just leave the house and make plans as I go. How were we operating before cell phones. I mean, I know it was possible. But it seems so hard to fathom now.

The things I've been missing out on. Facebook. Twitter. Shazam. Phone calls for no random reason. Phone calls to find out what's going on. Phone calls to tell someone I'm on my way. Phone calls. The internet. IMDB. Text messaging. The internet. Email. Facebook. Twitter. The internet. Phone calls. Text messaging. Picture texts. The internet. Okay, I think you get it. I pretty much use that phone for everything. It's my life line.

I miss it!!

The 46th Hour...

2009-09-25T21:43:00.001-05:00

I decided to wait 46 hrs before I tried to plug the phone in. Last night, I could see some moisture in the camera lens of the phone. So I know that there was moisture that got in it. I stopped at Home Depot and picked up a Damp Rid sachet and put that in the ziplock bag with it. I was hoping it would pull the moisture out a little better than the rice.

I plugged it in at work this afternoon. The apple logo came on. Then continued to reset itself for the next 15 minutes. NOT GOOD! Finally, it acted like it was going to charge and went to the main screen. It was moving very slow and the apps were taking forever to load. It finally went to the screen telling me to sync it with itunes. But since I was at work, I couldn't really do anything about it. So when I packed up for the day and unplugged it, I realized it wasn't holding the charge and if it wasn't plugged in, it wasn't doing anything.

I went home and plugged it into the wall and it still wouldn't hold a charge. It wouldn't do anything once plugged into the computer at all.

I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow when I take it to the Apple Store to see what my options are. :(

The Things That Happen to Me...

2009-09-24T19:27:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night, something horrible happened. It truly was a nightmare. I went to the gym, even though I still wasn't feeling great. I went and hopped on the treadmill with my iphone and towel, just like I've been doing for three nights a week. After about 15 mins, my heart rate was way out of control because of the meds the doc put me on. So I decided I wasn't quite ready to be back at the gym, so I went back to the locker room. I laid my phone on the toilet paper holder while I was going to blow my nose. And my iphone fell off and INTO the toilet. I don't think I've moved that quick in a really long time. But in about .2 seconds I had grabbed it out, completely wrapped it in toilet paper, and removed every water droplet from it. I tried to hold back my tears as I left the gym.

I'd heard of people "saving" their phones by putting them in a ziplock bag of rice, or ziplock back of damp rid or silicon packets. So I immediately stuck it in a full bag of rice. It kept turning itself off and on and it was making me incredibly nervous. I googled and read about a million articles and blogs about people who'd dropped their phones in water puddles, or the lake, or the swimming pool, and it ended up working out in their favor. So there was some hope in my heart that everything would be okay.

24 hours without the phone. HARD. I'm trying to decide how long to wait. Everything I've read says 24-48 hrs or longer. How are you supposed to know?

YAY for the Yaris!

2009-09-20T21:58:00.000-05:00

So, I've been thinking a lot about getting a new car over the last few months. I absolutely loved having an SUV, but it's not really all that necessary for my life. Only having two doors isn't the most convenient for adults trying to climb in the backseat. The gas mileage is eating away my bank account. Champ was getting old, having lots of issues that needed to be fixed that were going to cost a lot of money. She had 157,000 miles...and she's a FORD! That's a CHAMP! I really wasn't looking forward to a car payment, but once I started researching, I realized that I could be saving over $100 a month just on gas alone.

I'd been trying to decide exactly what I wanted. At first, I wasn't totally convinced that the Toyota Yaris was for me, but I quickly fell in love with it. It was cute and little and the gas mileage alone was enough to convince me if was a good idea...I mean 30-35 mpg is over twice what I'm getting now!

Saturday, I was in Kentucky visiting the family. My stepdad wanted to go look for cars. I wasn't planning on doing anything for at least another month or so, but everything just seemed to work out perfectly. I was pre-approved for a loan, I found the car I liked, we made an offer, they accepted!

This will be my fourth vehicle, but it's definitely the newest! It's a 2008...only a year old. I'm super excited!

I will try to post more pics soon...if it ever stops raining!

Thrive Update

2009-08-05T20:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning, I had the option of doing a body composition analysis to see what had changed in the 3+ weeks since we started the program. I have had a couple people ask me if I've lost weight in the last couple days, but I don't think there's really a noticable change yet. I gave in and did the BCA because curiosity got the best of me. I wasn't sure if it was going to be motivating or depressing.

My results were actually very surprising. I lost 4 lbs in body fat mass and gained 3 lbs of lean muscle mass! Overall, I've only lost 2 lbs. But I'll take it. I really am not concerned about a number on the scale. I just really want to slim down and tone up. I think we'll do results again during the halfway point. At least it's motivation enough to want to continue! I can't wait to see end results!

Unpublished Posts

2009-08-05T20:46:00.002-05:00

I just realized I had a bunch of posts from the last month that hadn't been published. Whoopsie! Well, they're up now.