What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm linking up to Jamie's weekly "What I'm Loving Wednesday" post. This week...

This week I'm loving that I am finally starting to feel better.  I made myself go to the doctor on Monday and have since been feeling much better.

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I'm loving that L and I started week 2 last night of the Couch to 5K program and successfully completed it.

I'm loving that we are close to the weekend.  I feel like I have got to force myself to start wrapping presents and finish my shopping, but it just does not feel like Christmas when its 60 degrees outside!

I'm loving that I get to see the Reid family as we host a shower on Sunday for our childhood friend Rici and her new little girl Kyra.  Of course big sister Teagan will be there too.  I have missed not seeing these guys since Rici had Kyra.

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I'm loving that I get to see all my preschoolers and kindergartners tonight at church.  I'm excited that we will be making Lottie Moon Christmas banks tonight.  I can't wait to share more with them about missions and Lottie Moon!

I'm back...

Since I have been MIA lately I thought I would share a couple of photos and tell you a little bit about what has been going on since Thanksgiving.  Gosh...it seems like December is zooming by.

1. It has been a tradition for well almost 7 or 8 years now to get up (or not even go to sleep) and go shopping on Black Friday.  This year I went with my mom and sister.  My sister has wanted some new casual boots, so when Belk advertised their casual boots for $19.99 it was a required stop on our night long adventure.  I have experienced my fair share of Black Friday shopping and waiting in lines, but let me tell you...you do not get in the way of a lady and her boots.  These women were pushing and shoving and cussing each other.  A little too crazy for our taste!

2. The Saturday after Thanksgiving we were able to go with our church to pack shoeboxes at the Operation Christmas Child operating center in Charlotte, North Carolina.  It always amazes me at the time and thoughtfulness put into these boxes.  Knowing that God already has a specific child picked out to receive the very box you have in your hands at that moment is beyond anything I can say.

3.  This past Saturday was our Singles Ministry Christmas Party.  We all signed up to bring certain dishes.  By the time I was able to see the list, salad it was.  Needless to say we had an awesome time of food, fellowship, and sharing.  We are currently exploring what direction our singles ministry will be going.  We want it to be about discipleship and outreach and not so much about activities.  Do any of you or your churches have a singles ministry?

4.  On Sunday my sister, our childhood friend L and I all attended a Zumbathon.  It was hosted by one of my Zumba instructors so I wanted my sister and L to experience what my Zumba class was like.  We had so much fun working out, catching up, and cutting up.

5.  We finally have our Christmas tree.  Although it is not completely decorated, it is up and making our house smell so good!

Now that I've caught you all back up, I'm ready to keep up with my daily/bi-weekly posts!

Top 5 Tuesday

Today I'm linking up with http://www.j-peachy.blogspot.com/  for Top 5 Tuesday!  This week the topic is Thanksgiving.

My favorite five things about Thanksgiving...

1. Spending Time With The Family

Jana, Dad, and Myself at the 100 year celebration for North Carolina Tarheel Basketball

Jana, Mom, and Myself when we visited Jana and Michael in Chicago.

2. Eating Amazing Food

I'm excited that this year my sister is hosting Thanksgiving at her house.  We have already pre-ordered our deep fried turkey from Bojangles.  (If you know my family, especially my grandpa, we have a little obsession with Bojangles)

3. Keeping a Tradition

That's right.  It is a tradition on my mom's side of the family that we all meet for breakfast on Thursday morning and then wrap things up with a trip to the local flea market.  This originally started because the flea market was only open on Thursdays, so the only time we would be able to go is when everyone was off work or out of school.

4. Thanksgiving Eve Service

Every year our church has a Thanksgiving Eve Service.  I love this service because it gives everyone a time of worship and reflection.  For me it helps me remember what I am most thankful for, my salvation.  We usually conclude the service by The Lord's Supper.

5. Relaxation

While I will not be on a beach or doing yoga, I will be off of work for TWO days for a total of a four day weekend!  I love getting time off so that I can catch up on all the things I want to do, but feel like I never have enough time.

Unexpected Question

Finally, a good surprise

Wednesday, I traveled down to Charlotte to meet up with my former college roommate Amanda to finally go to a concert that was my birthday gift.  It had been postponed from July to November.  After driving through extreme storms and dealing with crazy traffic I finally made it to her apartment where she had Panera soup waiting on me!  Perfect. 

As I finished eating and we were getting our things together to head out to the concert, she handed me a card.  On the back it looked like this:

I assumed it was a birthday card.  As I opened up the card, I was completely shocked.

Amanda asked me to be her maid of honor!  Amanda recently got engaged in October and her soon to be hubby, J are planning on tying the knot next December.

I am so honored to be her MOH and can't wait to share all of the wedding activities!

It's Official...The Blog Begins!

After debating back and forth with myself and checking out WAY too many blogs, I decided to join in the fun.  I’m officially taking that leap into the world of blogging.

A little about me…
I am a twenty-something girl born and raised in a small town in North Carolina.  I believe in God and know that I am unworthy of his compassion and forgiveness.  I believe that everything revolves around family and I truly don’t know what I would do without them.  They are the ones that keep me in check and from having my mini breakdowns!  I love hanging out with my friends and anytime I can, I choose to hang out with my sister.  We have gotten so much closer since we have matured.  I love random road trips, going shopping, taking pictures and working with kids.  I truly believe that, working with kids in our church is my true passion and is what God has called me to do for now.  It’s so amazing that he would allow me to serve in a way that is truly a blessing to me. 

I believe laughter is the best medicine and if you asked those closest to me, they would probably let you know I overdose on that all the time!  One of my favorite things to do is to sit outside at night and look at the stars.  It is unbelievable to fathom that God created each of those bright shiny beauties. 

I love watching sports.  There is no other team in college basketball, but my Carolina Tarheels!  I am an Appalachian State Alum and cheer on those Mountaineers on the football field as often as possible.

Life is a constant journey that starts with different chapters in your life.  As a twenty-something trying to be patient as I trust God to lead me into my next chapter I am excited to share my thoughts, adventures, and even some tips as I continue my journey.