Northpoint Community Church's iBand

I love my church. I feel so blessed that I live in Atlanta and am able to attend every Sunday. I am lucky that they provide environments for people to develop growing relationships with Jesus Christ. This is their mission statement. I have been going to the Buckhead Church since the beginning of 2008, so almost 3 years. The Buckhead Church is part of the Northpoint Community Church Ministries with Andy Stanley as the main Pastor. This church has changed my life. I have made valuable friendships and it was through the 722 environment that I met my husband Kyle. I even was baptized, or baptisto, Latin for dipped, and washed clean in the Holy Spirit.

The thing I love about the Buckhead and Northpoint Church is that they are always doing neat new stuff and keeping people on their toes. So last week when church goers saw this new technology product music for worship they surely knew, this is not your typical church. This is different, this is fun, this is exciting, what can I expect next. I would just say, "Expect the unexpected, be prepared for something new." Then we get to hear Andy speak. I have been going to church my whole life but never really felt a connection, at any other church like I feel when I am at Buckhead Church. We drive about 30 miles to get to church but it is so worth it, every time.

Tonight Andy continued the series on Hope and how we are God's children and how He sent His Son to die for our sins so we could be redeemed. I met some cool people tonight: a young lady from NY who was invited by a friend and was there for the first time, and a group of young men from London who are in a Band together. Then I also saw a bunch of my friends. It was a great night as my mom wanted to come. This was a great event on it's own but when we were singing along to the worship, so was my mom. It made me really happy! She is feeling more comfortable there, and she really liked the lights. The way the white light shines during the worship service literally reminds me of Heaven opening it's doors to the world. Basically I feel God's presence while I am there and that is why I can never get enough and keep coming back for more.

Christmas Decorations and Holiday Parties Begin

Last night was the Holiday Party at my friend's house, that I was excited about. If you read one of my earlier post this month you probably were wondering what I was going to make for the party?! Well my mother in law came to the rescue with a sure fire recipe for the Holidays. First it is really easy and for the Holidays that is just what you want. Take Betty Crocker's Triple Fudge Brownie mix and by Andes Peppermint Chips and chop them up. Then take half of the chopped peppermint candies and add to the mix. Then once baked, add the rest to the top after you remove from the oven. Yum Yum!! They were a huge hit at the party last night!

Yesterday we went to Cagle's Dairy Farm, and got this Christmas Tree and today we decorated it. We used LED lights for the tree and let me tell you they are so bright! We also took the dogs to PetSmart to see Santa. BIG FUN!! These are our Vizslas. General is the one on the left and Ruby Leigh is the one on the right. Ruby Leigh is General Lee's mom. Then I put up all the icicle lights around the front and back porches. Then we put together an angel with lights for the front porch. Then I put the stockings up above the fireplace. Last night I wrote our names on them with a glitter glue pen, and let them dry over night.

Then I rushed to clean the house and make a delicious steak dinner for my parents and our family friends Tom and Rosemary. I used Aaron's recipe for the smashed potatoes and they were so good. Now it is time to make our Christmas cards. I am using the photos we took at PetSmart. They were doing the pictures for donations to the Humane Society.

Until next time... I hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season!

Holiday Baking and Happy at my Job

I have recently gotten famous in my family for my homemade pumpkin pie. It started around Halloween and I did it again over Thanksgiving. You get a pie pumpkin fresh from a farm or a grocery store. Then you bake it, rinds down in a baking pan covered in olive oil. When that is done you use a food processor and blend it up. While this is going on you should be browning the pie crust in the oven. Then you add sugar heavy whipping cream and spices. Then you bake it again for about 45 minutes. Now you too can bake a great pumpkin pie! For more detailed directions look at Joy of Cooking.

Ok I have been looking at Southern Living Ultimate Christmas Cookbook for over an hour and still can't decide what to bake or make for a holiday Christmas Party! I mean really, everything looks good it is hard to decide! I want to make something delicious and memorable that everyone will like. Let's be honest, I want praise... I mean after the pumpkin pie I must have some kind of skills? No, the truth is I forget ingredients sometimes and all it takes is a teaspoon instead of a table spoon and something is too dry. Or no water, take it from me those brownies were very dry. haha It takes practice and concentration to successfully make a tasty treat. I know it is not easy but I am up for the challenge.

I feel like I need to go to the "cloud" If you are not sure what I mean google Windows and the Cloud commercials. It makes me think that whenever you get into a tight spot Windows will come to the rescue. Good Ad campaign!

Now off to bed, as I have a big drive ahead of me tomorrow. Going to Columbus for work. My goal for this week was to try to finish going to every dealership in GA. You know what I am not that far away... Wish me safe travels. I love what I am doing. Sales is where I need to be right now. So glad I finally found something good. Oh and by the way we are getting a new office!! With a show room and I will have my own office! We will show case our Execuhitch Trailer Hitch of the Future, with a custom automated now you see it now you don't electric design. Check it out at www.execuhitch.com

Holidays Shopping Begins

Last weekend was insane. We had the famous Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving sale. I stayed up all night because the one place I wanted to go was Target and their Door Busters started at 4:00 am. I watched one of my favorite movies, Batman Begins to pass the time before I went to the store. Kyle had to go to bed, because he had school in the morning. I left the house at 3:30 am and arrived at 3:45 am. I must say I underestimated the people of my area and the Target was so packed. The line wrapped all the way down the shopping center strip and around the corner. I'd say there was over two thousand people there. When the doors opened, there were sounds of cheers from the front of the line. People were all rushing into the store. As soon as I walked through the sliding doors I noticed the shopping carts were all gone. They ran out of shopping carts!

Before I left I got a visual picture of where I was going as they had a Door Buster map, where they put regular items on sale in different places around the store. All of these items are strategically placed around store based on what they think people will buy who also want to buy the sale items. For example the TVs were in the men's clothing department. I went straight to the DVDs which were in the girl's department. I must say it is going to be a DVD Christmas. I bought so many DVDs. I got some really good deals. The DVDs were priced at $1.99, $3.99, $5.99, up to $16.99.

I almost didn't go because the weather was getting so bad. It was storming and raining cats and dogs! When I got there it was still raining and when I left 30 minutes later.

Earlier that day I went online and did some shopping at Crate and Barrel and Men's Warehouse. I basically by 4:30 am on Black Friday was done with all of my Holiday Shopping! I am really excited about being done.

Next up baking treats for a party this weekend and wrapping presents.

Big Day for a Working Sales Girl

Today was a big day... a Subaru dealership representative came into our office for a tour from my hard work. The whole thing happened because of a cute black terrier. I was about to leave the Infiniti dealership at Gwinnett and I saw the cutest little black terrier in the office of a man. I told Steve that his dog was so adorable and went on to let him know how great it is that he can bring his dog to work. At that moment a woman walked up to say, "Well he should be able to bring his dog to work, since he makes up the rules." I went on to tell him about the mom an son dog Vizsla pair. I told him how we bred the dogs and how they are just so sweet and loyal. I then mentioned that we sell a custom automated invisible electric trailer hitch. Then he told me, "Well today is your lucky day!" I replied that, "I needed a lucky day!" He gave me Herb's number, their service manager who was conveniently looking for a trailer hitch to accompany their new camper line they are rolling out at their dealership! Their campers come in different sizes for a twin bed, a queen bed, and a king size bed. It also has an attachment for a, if not our, bike rack.

Well when I met with Herb he was really interested into what I had to say about our trailer hitch and was, like most people, very impressed with our design. We had a really good meeting in his office, then when I called and followed up with him he asked if he could come into the office and have a tour of our facilities. So, today was the day he wanted to come in and take a good look around. It was perfect timing that my dad's BMW was in our office today getting a hitch put on it, so Herb could really see how it all works. Herb is such a nice friendly guy, it was a pleasure showing him around. After the tour, which went really well, we talked about our new facility we are thinking about moving into and getting one of their cars and campers to display in our show room with our trailer hitch on it. I was so excited that my work with this company is already starting to pay off after only a month and a half of working with this company. The coolest thing about the new building is what we are going to do in the huge parking lot! I'll give you a hint, it is the same thing we did in our locations in other countries over seas... Hang a Jeep by a hitch on a crane, a CRANE! I mean how neat will that be to describe where we are located, and say, "Oh yeah, just look for the Jeep hanging in the air and turn in... That's my office!"

Being in sales is what I believe in my heart I was born to do. That is God's thumbprint on my soul. With this hitch I get so excited about the product and what we can deliver to our clients. A better quality disappearing hitch that is stronger, safer, and doesn't force a ugly bumper cut out! What more could you ask for?!

My family and I celebrated my birthday last night at the Cheesecake Factory. I ordered the most delicious Pear and Endive Salad. It came with a vinaigrette and it was very satisfying as the salad was so huge. There were even left overs! Then we ate some carrot cake, carrot cake is the birthday cake I always get for my birthday and my dad does too. I guess I get that from him, my love for turning carrots into cake. Hey, why not, right?! Kind of like turning lemons into lemonade.

Speaking of fresh fruit and drinks, I have been on a virgin mix drink cocktail kick. (Say that 10x fast!) It all started on at my Sangria and Margarita House Warming Party we had a couple weeks ago. I fell in love with Sangrias, and they are so easy to make! OMGosh, yummy! I had some left over frozen raspberries so I added it to some orange juice and Ginger Ale. I like my orange juice with pulp. I feel like people are so different on how they like their orange juice. I like my orange juice with lots of pulp. I get that from my dad too... ;) I love seeing his thumbprint on me too, and I love that my family has let go of me being a lawyer like my dad and embraced me pursuing my own dreams. You know what I am really happy!

My friends have been telling me for a long time that I should either be in PR or sales. Here I am. Here I'll stay. I hope you have a blessed weekend, stay safe and live your own dreams. It may not always be easy, you may not make a ton of money. But money could never buy my happiness and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Exploring in the Kitchen

I have been up to cooking some yummy treats and dinners with Kyle. We made shish-kabobs for dinner Friday. We made some that had chicken, pineapple, onions, zucchini, and squash. Then we had separate ones for potatoes. We did that because we knew the potatoes had to cook longer. Kyle did a great job manning the grill, we added some of Emril's "Essence" and salt and pepper. You have to have skewers to make it all work. Cook until done and enjoy. The end was a delicious dinner!

We went to Six flags recently and that was a ton of fun. Walking around waiting in line with all your friends is a good time. But when it comes time for the rides, get ready, get set, and go. Don't blink because they go faster than you think and then they are done. My favorite was Superman. You literally fly and soar over the park at speeds greater than 75 miles per hour! What a rush. I tried to win a prize, unsuccessfully. I played this game that you try to get a little ring around the bottle tops. I remember a while ago my dad won me a prize. That was something! Kyle helped me and neither one of us could do it, we were discouraged.

This weekend we were relaxing. We went to a Halloween party on Friday after the shish-kabobs. It was at my friends house, and it was a house warming party. I can't say what I dressed up as because it is not Halloween yet and I still want to keep it a secret.

We also went to the pumpkin patch near our house in Woodstock, called Berry Patch Farms. The experience was amazing. There were hayrides over to the pumpkins, where you can pick out your very own pumpkin! I wanted a tall big pumpkin (it ended up weighing 32 lbs) Kyle's pumpkin was big and round, he kept saying it looked like a tomato. His was 22 lbs. There we bought pie pumpkins perfect for baking pumpkin pies. I sat on a vintage tractor and we got lots of pictures.

Then Saturday I baked two Pumpkin pies from scratch! I used my Joy of Cooking Cookbook, and the result was an amazing compliment. My Mother in Law said, "This is the best pumpkin pie I have ever had!!!!!!!!!!" Considering she is an amazing cook I was very happy! We had both of Kyle's parents over because it was his dad's birthday.

Then Sunday we went to the Falcon's game and they blew it out of the water! I was a big win! We were sitting in the bottom level and it was fun times to be had by all. We went from there to the Buckhead church and the service was amazing. Click here to watch the service on line. I love finishing my weekends that way!

Feeling Satisfied with the Sweet Little Things in Life

Life feels so good when you work hard and reap rewards and see benefits. I have been having so much fun going to all these dealerships in Georgia and selling and Marketing our Execuhitch, Trailer Hitch of the Future. I feel like it is getting a very warm response to everyone who sees it. Getting your foot in the door as a Manufacturer Representative is key. So far, so good. (Knocking on wood).

Kyle is taking a power nap, and then he is going to hit the gym. My sweetheart has really been doing a good job getting really healthy and in shape. We are both staying the night at the Hampton Inn tonight, which is cool. I get kind of lonely when he travels around GA for work, so what do I do? I joined him, you know the saying... So tonight I checked in, and felt cool because Kyle is a Diamond VIP rewards member at the Hampton Inn hotel. Pretty cool. I mean this place is nice: free water, oreos in room, downstairs: free fresh baked cookies and popcorn, and ripe golden delicious apples... I see why he likes this place!!! I certainly don't make cookies every night.

I got a call from Chateau Julien, our winery in Carmel Valley, California, and our wine we picked out on our honeymoon was returned because a wine bottle broke... Bummer I know. Shawn is going to resend our wine and replace the bottle that was broken. They were suppose to be delivered Monday or Tuesday... I guess we'll have to wait a little longer for our delicious German style wine that the French also claim. Gewurztraminer is the name of this fabulous wine! It's a sweet white wine. This vineyard is located in the Carmel Valley near Monterey, CA area and is quite an amazing experience for all types of wine connoisseurs. If you take the tour you get to taste test all the wine for free, see where the grapes are grown, where the barrels are stored, where the wine is made, and ending where you can buy and take home the very best wine. A fun interesting fact is most wine's grapes come from the 7 different terrains in California and many come from Monterey including the wine made in Napa Valley. So the wineries in Napa buy the grapes and then make the wine!! Shawn is great at explaining the history and answering all the questions people may ask. Chateau Julian's number is 1831-622-1524.

Tonight we are going to Ru San's, which has delicious sushi!!! I am really excited. I love the Super Crunch. It is about five rolls into one, fried and sliced, yum I know. So I am going to eat well tonight with my amazing husband, something I never take for granted!!! I feel so blessed...

On the Road

Since starting my new job I have been learning all about the product. Now I am on the road selling and marketing the product to dealerships and bike stores (we have an amazing Bike Rack to go along with our hitch). So today I am headed to South West Georgia. I am in Columbus, GA right now and was at Union City before that this morning. In Union City the meeting with the Parts Manager went really well! I really like what I am doing and kind of feel like I am meant to be in sales.

For those of you who are wondering about my mom who had major back surgery. She is doing really well. The doctor said if she didn't bend, twist or lift for 3 months since the surgery, she might not have to have this surgery again. I hope she listens to the doctor and has a full healthy recovery. She is able to walk around and walking as much as she can is totally fine.

We are having a house warming party this Friday and I think our house is almost ready. We still have a couple things to hang up around the house, like Blinds and curtains. I am going to make cookies and maybe even pumpkin pie. I am making the homemade guacamole and Rotel, buying some salsa and chips to go with everything. We are expecting a pretty good turn out. The puppies are doing well and hopefully they will be good at the party.

Ever noticed when you are busy you get more done?

Well I have been super busy lately. I started a new job!!! I had been unemployed for a couple months and had plenty of interviews. I was waiting for a job in sales and one that was a good fit! I found a job as a manufacturer representative for Execuhitch. You can check us out on the web at www.execuhitch.com we also have a video link that I will attach in the form of a QR Code. It is a great American company and the trailer hitch is a great product!

We have been decorating the townhouse and putting everything away. We put two dressers together and my desk is put together, all of this from Ikea. I hung so many pictures! some of my friends, some photos from around the world, some of my art, some signs, and a huge print that is of a famous painting. I try to keep a lot of the work mine. The kitchen is red with the art and photographs black and white and the living room is cool colors with the walls a sea blue.

The dogs are getting used to the townhouse. General is getting started on the big adult dog food, switching from puppy food. Ruby is getting used to sleeping in my office and the dogs learned not to get on the couch, the bed or any furniture. Amberley, my mom's dog/my dog's puppy, came for a visit and tore up my red leather bag, broke my glass pallet, and tore up the outside of my wedding guest book!!! She got in big trouble!

My mom's back surgery went really well. She is still recovering but she is able to walk around and use assistance but she is walking!! She is always a fighter and is so strong! I am so amazed with her faith in God and her strength as she leaned into him during her time of need. Our neighbors and friends and some of my family has been so encouraging and loving and it has made all the difference in the world.

I am still writing thank you notes from the wedding. I am about half way done! So thank you for all the support with everything I have going on. Thanks for reading my blog. I try not to overwhelm with information and write about once a week. Usually after the week end.

Meaningless, Meaningless Life?! I think not...

If live is only about what we accumulate and acquire in life, it would all be meaningless. Everything we have in our life will be given to someone else or thrown away. Nothing tangible will last. Our actions and words will be remembered in the everlasting life. How we conduct ourselves in the day to day will matter when we are judged before the Heavenly Father above the sun.

My uncle passed away recently and I was very distraught. My husband and my father both were telling me the same thing. Remember how kind and loving he was, remember him at his best. But there is nothing we can do to change the fact that he is gone forever. Gone for good. My uncle Ronnie was the very best kind of man. The kind of man single woman wish they could marry and the kind of dad some kids only dreamed about. He is survived by three children, my cousins. How hard it must be to have to grow up without a father. My heart and prayers goes out to my cousins. I loved Ronnie.

But in the end the sun will rise and the sun will fall. The moon keeps spinning and the earth keeps turning. The Lord will be feared and his commandments will be kept, because in the end the life eternal is all that is important. How we live our lives is what matters. The things and the money come and go, but a faithful servant will be rewarded with eternal life.

Thank you to The Buckhead Church for a great message that helped in my mourning this weekend www.buckheadchurch.org

Unpacking and New Married Life

So to wrap up the honeymoon and easy into this new life I have, it has been some adjusting an getting use to being married. The clip here is from the honeymoon and there were so many sea-lions just chillin on these rock buffer into the cove of Monterey. This was probably the best part about the glass bottom boat tour!! Check it out, the lady's voice in the video is awesome, love that accent!

I finally finished unwrapping all the presents from the wedding and from before the wedding. I am well on my way with the custom ordered thank you notes writing to tell our friends how much I love every present! Kyle and I put up three shelves in our red kitchen to put glasses, bowls and vases on... let's hope there aren't any earthquakes in Atlanta! I wanted to design an open shelving space that would compliment the room and let it feel open. This weekend we are having another garage sale. Last weekend being Labor Day we didn't have much of a turn out and we still have a bunch of stuff left. What ever we don't sell is going to Good Will. It is nice to be home and I am getting into a routine. Without having a job I feel like a stay at home wife! I take care of the dogs, make delicious dinners most nights clean up the town house. I just take care of two vizsla dogs instead of kids! To be fair I had three interviews over the last couple weeks and I am waiting to hear back from two of them.

I love being married to Kyle, there is a sense of security and comfort and I feel so loved and desired. It is really nice and we have a lot of mutual respect for one another. I love our community we live in and our gorgeous town house. I feel very blessed, especially since my wedding felt like a fairy tale with me marrying my prince!

Honeymoon Oyster at Crystal Fish, Monterey, CA

You know the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words...?" Well this video has it's own non verbal commentary! The picture of the "Honeymoon Oyster" to the left was recommended by our waitress at the Crystal Fish as we told her that we were on our honeymooning. Needless to say, it was not something I will try again. The contents were a raw oyster, salmon eggs, sea urchin, raw quail egg yoke. I should have just swallowed it whole but the mouthful was just too big...

I know...

So on our honeymoon we have had a really good time so far, lots of fun experiences... :) We saw the pink flamingos short and tall at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We saw the seals and the funny thing was there were seals outside the aquarium on a rock formation that were just chillin. It was a beautiful aquarium. They had a whole exhibit dedicated to sea horses, and another just to jellyfish. I have never seen anything like it.

Yesterday we went to Pebble Beach and I got three granite pebbles for our living room. The views there and on the World Famous "17 Mile Drive" were literally priceless. We went there at sunset so I got some amazing photos. A narrow road runs through it with the tallest Cypress Trees standing between some of the countries most expensive and classy homes. The golf course is as spectacular as they say, with a view right over the ocean. There was a cool tree called the ghost tree that looked like a drift wood sculpture, but was just actually just a dead tree that was breath taking.

Earlier we relaxed on the lush grass in a mini park on the Carmel Square with small town cutesy shopping to luxury brands like Coach and Louis Vuitton! I bought a pink sweat shirt because I accidentally forgot any of my jackets, or fleeces. I bought some souvenirs for a couple really special people.

Our condo is a state of the art two bed room with a full kitchen. We wanted to be able to cook breakfast and make lunches. On the way from San Fransisco we passed a road side "Modern Day Success Story" Farmers Market that is open 24/7 with the best fresh big fruits and vegetables we had ever seen. The countryside drive was beautiful, and kind of reminded me of the drive to Chattanooga, TN.

So to make a long story short, I love being married to Kyle and I want to come back to California. Now it is time to get back to Honeymooning with my Husband and living the dream!! ILML!

If I Die Young

This goes out to all of the fallen men in women in arm forces. This is such a beautiful song, the lead singer has the voice of a song bird! The video is so poetic and paints a delicate picture. Sometimes I think about death and I always try to live my life to the fullest and never try to have any regrets.

My mom and I have been planning this wedding, and it is next week. To say planning a wedding is stressful is kind of an understatement. I feel like I am really laid back, my dad agrees "to a fault" I am laid back, and even for me it is intense. My mom gets a lot of credit as it is due because she has done a lot of the work, and to that I am forever grateful. I will certainly pay it forward if I have children. My mom has taught me everything I ever need to know about inner strength and the will to carry on through any adversary. She is amazing and I love her with my whole heart, with out her I don't think my wedding to the man of my dreams would be as organized or as elegant as it will be next Saturday night!

I am getting a new last name, sliding the soon to be "old one" to my middle name, kind of crazy. I'm moving this Sunday, I am ready for all of these BIG changes and so content with everything. If I were to die young, I would be happy. But I pray I live a long healthy life with my future husband, Kyle.

Scoutmob App

Kyle and I came across a really cool app for the iPhone, called Scoutmob. And by we, I mean Kyle ;) The way it works is you get the app, which is free, you select the city (either Atlanta or NYC!!! get excited!!!) then enjoy the multiple deals daily updated. These deals range from food, to shopping, to drinks, spices, home furnishings, cafe's, things for pets. Today we went to Flying Biscuit in Norcross, a local favorite of ours... and we ordered the eggs over biscuits and covered in gravy. Then on our sides we had sausage and they honestly have the best cheese grits, they are so creamy!!! This is our favorite dish there. The other thing I have had there that is really good is the BLT sandwich with fried green tomatoes!!! I also like their salads.

Yesterday I had a beautiful Bridal Shower at my parents and my friend Mrs. Nancy's house. She lives on a ornately decorated house with fresh flowers and great color and it was just so lovely, even if it didn't have any of my dearest friends there... but it did so it became more like a little piece of heaven.

Amethyst said the blessing and it made my heart smile. We drank juice and some had a splash of champagne! We ate delicacies like homemade spinach quiesce and then I enjoyed the ham and cheese quiesce, along with ripe fresh fruit, and little croissants filled with tarragon chicken salad. For dessert we loved the vanilla cake with raspberry in between the layers and sweet cream cheese icing. YUM!! I know, we ate like queens.

Speaking of Queens my future mother in law Susan found the coolest Queen Bee Pins for the wedding. One for my mom The Mother of the Bride Queen Bee, like maybe a traditional bee pin but wearing white and has a tiara!! Then she got the matching Mother of the Groom Bee Pin for herself!! I absolutely loved it, especially since my mom loves bee pins. Not only are Kyle and I good compliments, our families are compliments, too. It will make for nice holidays.

Still working on getting Kyle's groom gift organized. Details to follow after the wedding in 20 days!! The programs are almost done, and music is done. The dress fits, and just finishing up on some details. Kyle and I are meeting our minister for coffee to go over our last marriage counseling and information regarding our ceremony.

Thank you for all the prayers regarding my mom she is getting better, and resting as much as possible. Please pray for my friends on mission trips in Haiti right now! One has asked that we pray for "good attitudes." For family relationships that they continue to improve and better communication with certain family members. Please pray for Kyle's Aunt as she is battling cancer.

If you have specific prayer request please feel free to post or email me at funlovinjen@gmail.com

Cheers!

The Happy Struggle

I feel like there is a constant struggle to maintain "the happy." I want my blog to only have happy stuff on it. The truth is I am having a hard time only writing about happy stuff because to be quite honest there is other stuff going on that isn't so great. I feel like I am only giving my readers a partial picture of my life. So I'll start with the happy...

Kyle and I went on a road trip this past weekend to see a sorority sister from college get married! It was so beautiful! Lindsay married Eric in a big church in Madison Mississippi. The flowers were all pink and the the groomsman all wore black with white roses. Lindsay's hair was beautifully curled and had a gorgeous intricate beaded dress. Her head piece was a little longer than a shoulder length veil and we all had a great time on the dance floor. We ate delicacies like fried shrimp and fried mushrooms with an assortment of cheeses and veggies. The cake was covered in swirls similar to what mine will look like, and tasted delicious.

The other thing going on in my life right now that isn't so great is my mom is having trouble with her back. She is going to have to have major back surgery right after the wedding in September. But right now she is having some more trouble.

So that is a part of life, you can pray to God in Heaven that his grace will cover your sins and his mercy will take care of your loved ones when they are facing times of trouble. Then you think of things you can do, so you don't feel helpless in the happy struggle of living your life.

Bridal Photos

Yesterday was a lot of fun. I spent much of the afternoon with my mom and Lee Patterson, looking at my Bridal portraits that Lee took with Patterson Photography. It was really great and I am very pleased with the results. I was able to look at the best ones and pick them for the photo album. I wish I could show you but I want it to be a complete surprise at the wedding! Including to my handsome groom, Kyle, and I would hate for a picture to leak out to him. We also picked the picture to go with the signed frame for the engagement photos. Kyle is so photogenic, who knew? Maybe I am rubbing off on him after all, I know his sweetness is rubbing off on me...

Well, it's an early morning and the dogs are playing next to me. Ruby loves to look out the window and bark at any passers by, especially if they have a dog! I swear she is really good for protection, and trust me when I say she has her protective moments. Ever since she became a momma she is much more protective...

Today, Parisa and I are heading up to Woodstock to paint me and Kyle's new town-house. The kitchen may or may not be done, that is still to be determined. But today on the agenda is painting Kyle's office another coat of the the caramel brown and start painting the art/office for me, light blue. I think I am going to take the dogs up there with me, too. We will see if they behave or if they just play. That's what dogs do.

After the Party, and after the after party

Holidays are usually so much fun! I really enjoy Holidays and spending time with family and friends. But where do we find ourselves after the Holiday "Party?" After the fireworks go off and the people go home, you are left with clean up and then planning for the next party. Seems like after the party my energy dips down as the music is turned down and the grill is turned off. Remembering the fireworks and the music, the hamburgers, drinks, people, and fun that is what I am holding on to!

In other news, I am having serious Mexican food cravings!! I ate at Chipotle yesterday with my fiance and all day I have been craving chips and salsa, oh and gauc! I went to two grocery stores to fill the urge: Whole Foods and Kroger. Avocados are cheaper at Kroger but Whole Foods has some delicious looking natural salsa and pico de gallo dip. The lady at the checkout for Whole Foods in Roswell was really nice too! Kroger has great prices on fresh produce, so I guess you could call it a team effort.

I'm not really feeling well today, with a bad headache and Parisa recommended some coconut water. I went with Vita COCO. It was really good served over ice, and did help with my headache a little bit. Maybe the chips and homemade guacamole will make me feel better.

Over, and Out.

Couldn't Do it

I couldn't do it. I texted and called people last weekend during my no technology weekend. Other people were using their phones and computers and I just got tempted.

We had a great time in Helen, GA! We ate some delicious food brought by every member of the small group. We each brought something, I bought the meat and hot dogs for grilling. We had s'mores! I tried building us a fire and it didn't happen because of all the rain. The first night there was a crazy thunder storm and literally the lightening bolts were coming down right next to us in our plush cabin!

The next day we went tubing and had so much fun. We tied up together 2-3 people tied up. It was so much fun! Then we went back to the cabin and watched the World Cup game USA vs. Ghana. It was a close game but Ghana pulled through and won, my friend Lauren made pigs in a blanket for the game... yummy. That night was when we grilled out and we even had tater tots. Then the s'mores... Are you seeing a delicious trend?

Then this week, when I got back I've been busy. I went to the Braves game with my Dad for Father's day that was what I got him. We had great seats in section 402 above home plate in the upper deck and we could see everything. I had hot dog, and I was looking forward to the boiled peanuts before the game but the lady said the fire went out! So we bought regular peanuts. I drank a ton of water as it was humid and really hot at the game, I also had Poweraid!

Then yesterday we had my Bridal portraits at the St. Regis in Buckhead. My photographer Lee Patterson is such an artist! His company Patterson Photography is the best, some of their clients include famous golfers and Baseball players! He took some of the most amazing shots! On the staircase, on the balcony looking at the chandelier. Then we look some sitting down lounging on an side room. I am so excited about the wedding and seeing these pictures developed! He is such a great guy and an amazing photographer!! I love my wedding dress and train! I felt like a princess!

Technology Free

My small group and I are about to embark on an adventure and bonding experience. We are going to the North Georgia Mountains for a small group retreat. I am really happy to be going on this girls weekend and even more thrilled about spending some one on one time with some amazing girls. No dogs, Kyle is watching Ruby and Lee, no boys, but also no technology. No cell phones, no PDA’s, no computer and no internet. This trip is all about spending time with one another and enjoying their company. It is really nice to get away and do this kind of thing at least once a year.

Last year my girl friend Chris had a camping trip; it is this weekend this year so unfortunately I’ll have to miss it. It was a little more rustic than what we will be doing this year, in a cushy cabin. Last year we were car camping. Meaning you set up tents right next to your car. You can use bathrooms nearby but still sleeping in tents, getting the experience of semi-roughing it. We did something I had never done before. We made pizza pies, peanut butter pies, blueberry pies, cherry pies, etc. You get the supplies you would for a regular one of these and use pie pans, and bread and butter then you put over the fire… and cook. That was probably my favorite part about the camping trip, besides spending time with some amazing girls.

This weekend we are going to do some hiking and tubing and cooking as well. We will hike in the morning and tub Saturday afternoon. I got my tub-top bikini as I done want bad tan lines for the wedding and bug spray and of course SUNSCREEN for the tubing adventure. Then when we get back for lunch, we’ll make sandwiches. I am eagerly awaiting the burgers and hot dogs for dinner. I was in charge of getting the meat! I got turkey hot-dogs and turkey meat and regular meat for the hamburgers. I hope we got some good chips; I really like some good chips! I’m bringing milk and stuff for snacks also, if I get hungry.

Well it’s almost that time, to Hit the Road Jack!

Our New House- Almost Married

In 59 days Kyle and I will be getting married. We also will be moving in together in a town-home in Northern Atlanta Suburbs. We haven't lived together and have a very pure Christian relationship, so we are both excited about living together. Going to sleep next to each other and waking up together. We are totally redoing the town-home. After his last renter, everything had to be thoroughly cleaned and the carpets had to be professionally cleaned. After my Bridal shower we had some amazing presents to bring up to the house and unpack. My mom and I went up there today and cleaned out the cabinets and cleaned the stove dishwasher. Then we unpacked the first set of gifts. We will have another couples shower and we have already received presents from people who cannot come to the wedding... August 21, 2010! Very exciting, I know. Kyle and I are on cloud nine. My maid of honor Amie is doing such an amazing job with everything and I am most grateful for her. Parisa and Andrea also were a big help! We are in the painting process. We are painting the bedrooms and halls a pretty tan, my office will be blue with white trim, Kyle's office will be tan maybe green trim. Our puppy Lee has a new bed and Ruby will not be allowed to sleep in the bed anymore.

Either way, I am really excited about moving to this area and starting a new life together as newly weds! I have a Bridal photo shoot next week at a fancy hotel in Atlanta, and am thrilled to get all dressed up. My mom is coming with me and that should be fun. We have been getting along really well lately, she really thinks highly of Kyle and that makes me really happy. She liked our new town-house today and kept saying how big it was! I can't wait to throw some awesome house parties. That is one thing I really liked about Kyle before I dated him, was how much fun his parties were. In a fun kind of way ;) Just think now, I'm marrying him, 2 1/2 years goes faster than you think, Don't Blink!

SKYDIVING!

What a rush. What a amazing high. What an exhilarating experience. It is dangerous... to the untrained. It is scary to the fearful, daring to those who dare.

Not being scared of jumping out of an airplane to go skydiving, might seem crazy to some. But, I was only concerned about the landing being smooth.

Once in Thomasville, GA at Skydive Atlanta DBA Uninsured Skydive Atlanta, reading the waiver it sets in how much you are risking. Once through the door, after they check every signature line, and paid money to risk our life for adventure, we learn via a trainer how to do this tandem jump skydive. We wait for our "assignment" who and when we will be jumping with. My group was the third group...

(Did I mention we woke up at 6 am to do this?)

We get in our suits, colored b y size. We get on our harness, we watch them professionally pack the parachute. They have hired people there, who get paid based on completed parachutes, packing the parachutes immediately after they are deployed.

I take lots of pictures, I am walking into the airplane and my Tandem Tom says, "Everything you can think of doing while Skydiving, I have already done."

That made me feel better. The video you are about to watch is the experience, some parts the video is covered but you can still hear the sound and feel the intensity of the adventure.

Then we jumped!

A Better World

What if we lived in a world where people were really happy for other people in their successes and really empathized in their failures?

What would that world look like… no jealously, but joy and rejoicing in our Lord? Where people loved people in an agape way and there were no more lustful thoughts.

No one ever even thought to kill themselves or others. People forgave people when they did things to wrong them, as the Lord forgives us… Always when we surrender and ask.

I like that world. I constantly try to do these things, but it’s tough. It’s tough because I’m a sinner. It’s even tougher because so are you, and everyone else.

Jesus was perfect but He is raised from the Dead and is now in Heaven with our Father.

This is my favorite part, Grace. Grace from God and for each other and for ourselves.

Step one: Ask Your Personal Lord and Savior to forgive you for all your many sins. Be honest, sin probably happens many times daily, so, continually accept Grace and forgiveness and, then later ask again…

Step two: Ask for forgiveness from people individually that you have wronged. This one is tough because you should do this in person or if that is not feasible on the phone… but not through email or text message. Be sober when this happens and during regular hours, so drunk is probably not an option. This requires you to realize your faults which can be difficult and humble yourself enough that you don’t make excuses or blame game it up or turn it around on the other person for whom you are asking forgiveness. Then you have to wait. They may not accept your apology or they may need time to fully understand and accept your apology. Don’t be discouraged if they do not accept your apology, they may eventually and God did when you asked him because He is truly Merciful and shows unconditional love to everyone and you are already good enough the way you are for His love.

Step three: Forgive Yourself. This is difficult because you may have made a mess of your life because of your actions. You can control your actions but you cannot control the response factor or others interpretations of your actions or the hurt you may have caused others. Don’t do it again and truly repent.
I hope 2010 brings everyone much Happiness and True Love and Joy.
Here’s to treating the people in this world with more respect and honor as we are all children of the Lord.

As the Lord says, “Whatever you do to least you do unto me.”

"This is Her Story" By Amethyst in Collaboration with Jen

The pages from her well - worn journals serve to symbolize the major stories of her life. Occasionally she shares these stories with others, but mainly they provide her with a place to process her thoughts and feelings. In high school she was told that she wasn’t a good writer and that she had too many comma splices. Yet, she refused to buy into that notion. She refused to be bogged down by endless grammar rules and she refused to let the dull process of writing five paragraph essays strip her of her passion for writing.
Instead, she began to realize that her journal was a place where she could simply write for herself and with that came a form of liberation. She knew that her journal was hers and hers alone. As a result, it needed to consist of nothing more than her thoughts and her feelings. Her writing also began to show her that every person has a story and that every person is unique. She also came to realize that one person can never quite know what another person is going through. She knows this to be true because one of her major stories includes a dramatic shift in her own life that sent her on a path she never saw coming.