Rain Rain Go Away!

It has been very rainy here for at least a solid week, and the forecast says it is going to continue raining throughout this week. I know it is summer and it storms usually once a day but seriously this rain is getting ridiculous. This is like 40 days and nights kind of rain.
On one hand the rain really stinks because of the obvious, you can't really do too much outside when it is pouring and it is the kind of rain that just makes you want to stay inside and sleep or watch movies all day with a cuddle buddy! But the rain has also made the summer heat much more bearable this year. Instead of getting 100 + days like every other summer it has been a cozy mid 70's to low 80's although it is humid....
ANYWAYS
Seth and I have both been pretty bummed that we haven't gotten to do anything outside this week because of the rain. We got white water passes, making plans to go to the zoo, love to go hiking, swimming, and fishing. And today the rain finally let up for long enough for us to be able to let us put our new fishing stuff to use.
It was gross! We had all these different types of bait that I had to touch that were just nasty! But I braved it. AND even got Seth to eat some fish scales, but I owe him a steak dinner!
I love days like today when it's just me and him and we don't have to worry about what we look like or what we do, we just enjoy being together... even if we don't catch any fish :)

I know this is a silly picture of me, but even when I am being silly and he still looks at me like that, I know he loves me!

Happy 4th of July!

So obviously it's been a while.

Things never stop around here so even though it is summer time, I am still taking classes and Seth got a second job.... so we still don't have a lot of time together but when we see each other when we can!

Me and mom went to go see Kaleb and Lauren in Jacksonville. I loved the area! It was a lot like Kennesaw but beachy!

Also I am now a redhead!

Next weekend is Seth's cousin, Brandee's wedding so that will be a busy weekend but I am definitely looking forward to it!

We weren't able to do anything for Independence Day because Seth had to work and it was also raining all day so everything was canceled. But I think we are going to see fireworks whenever they are done and it isn't raining! I am very grateful for the men and women who make it possible everyday to live in this totally free and wonderful country! 

Happy 4th of July!! 

New York!

YAY! We just got back from our New York trip on Monday. Even though we were only gone Thursday- Monday it seemed like so much longer. And we were really only in the city for three days. It was an exhausting trip.
 First of all I was extremely grateful that I didn't have to work on Thursday because I hadn't even started packing and it pretty much took me all day to get ready. I would have definitely made us late! But it wouldn't have mattered because our flight was delayed for two hours! It wasn't too bad though. Since Hartsfield is a huge airport we all found food we wanted to eat, met a nice soldier, and played some UNO.
Then when we were finally in NY and out of the airport a shuttle came and picked us up to bring us to the hotel. I have never seen traffic so crazy at an airport. People cut others off, it was at a complete standstill for no reason, and everyone was honking even though no one could go anywhere. Our hotel wasn't anything fancy. We stayed in Flushing so that was pretty interesting...
 It's really hard thinking about what we did every day. While we were there the days went by really fast even though I was completely exhausted even when I woke up. We did a lot of stuff everyday too, mostly A LOT of walking. We did the NBC studio tour, did pretty much everything in Times Square, road the Subway, went to the 9/11 memorial, ate at some amazing places (magnolias bakery has the best apple juice in the universe), did a lot of shopping, and we went to see Annie! I think my favorite part was probably seeing Annie. Not only because Jane Lynch was Miss Hannigan but because the music was just so good! I love stuff like that!
 I am super glad that we went to NY and so happy that Seth and his mom were able to come with us. However, it will be a LONG time before I will ever be ready to go back! There are just way too many people there (and they told us it was the slow season)!
 Obviously these aren't all the pictures I took but I've already posted them all on fb.

this picture looks crazy...Ot's me and my dear dad on our first subway ride :)

The star wars convention was in town

Being silly on the subway with Seth & his mommy

Central Park!

It's the cast list of Annie! You can't really see it but Jane Lynch's name is in the second column

 Me and my mom in line to see Annie!

All of these three were taken at the Hard Rock in NYC

9/11 Memorial

St. Francis? The church that was really involved in helping during 9/11...that's the building behind us

On top of the Empire State Building

Radio City Music Hall... We didn't actually go in but we used it as a landmark to get around town!

Free to be me

 Yesterday I read an article that my lovely sister in law had posted on facebook. It was called One Thing Your Daughter Doesn't Need You To Say. It looked interesting so I decided to read it even though it was kind of long...reading isn't really my thing.
 It was a Christian article, obviously directed at parents of teen girls getting ready to make the transition to college or I guess any other big change.
 The article said that parents don't need to tell their daughters to set an example for their friends whether their friends are Christian or not. Telling someone to be an example in this way, takes away from who they are as a person. Christians are not expected to be perfect, say they perfect thing, or have their lives all together. We have a sin nature just like everyone else and need Jesus just as much as everyone else. So telling someone that they need to be the example is kind of like telling them they need to be perfect. When in all reality, that isn't possible. I think we should try to follow Jesus' example and seek him daily but trying to be perfect will only make Christians look even more hypocritical.
 I am really glad I took the time to read this article because even though it is directed at parents, I took some good advice out of it. Sometimes it feels like no matter how hard I try I am never good enough for my parents. I can get straight A's, work 2 part time jobs, clean the house, and they can still find something to get mad at me for. But all I know is I just have to do the best I can and if I know I am doing that, then maybe their expectations of me being a perfect little princess will go away. 

This is the article:
http://www.chattingatthesky.com/2013/05/13/one-thing-your-daughter-doesnt-need-you-to-say/

This is also a song that I really like by one of my favorite Christian artists. It reminds me that I don't have to be perfect and God will still love me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSQjSdU8VA

Weekend fun

This past weekend I was able to take a road trip with my parents and go to North Carolina to celebrate my niece's fourth birthday. On the car ride up there it seemed like it was going to be a very pleasant trip- we had CFA for dinner, and got Krispy Kreme which are my favorites. But of course stopping made us get to the hotel even later. I was so tired when we got there but after moving around and getting all of our stuff settled in I had woken up a bit. By the time I was in bed and finally ready to go to sleep, I could hear my dad snoring and my mom had a light on playing with her phone. I can't sleep when there is noise or light so I didn't go to sleep for like another hour. And then I woke up every two hours for some reason or another so I was very tired by Saturday for the party. But I definitely played with all the little munchkins as much as I could, and slept at my brothers house that night!

Kaleb playing with the truck

The birthday girl!!!

All of Bri's unopend presents

Bri opening up her present from Juju

Still opening...What could it be?

COWGIRL BOOTS & HAT

Hunter is obviously more interested in the box

Being a princess can be overwhleming

Hunter & Evan

Bri's birthday cake lit up

Kaleb streaking in the backyard! Favorite picture of the whole weekend!

Four cousins! Claire, Evan, Bri & Hunter

She's my sweetheart <3

Silly faces!

Hunter wanted in on the fun

Bri painted my nails

And a selfie :)

                                     

Jesus take the wheel

I meant to post this on Thursday but I was working and by the time I got to sit down and write it Bonnie was waking up. Anyways, Wednesday I was coming home from work. I work in Smyrna and only go to Smyrna to either visit Seth's grandmother or to work. And I take the same roads for both. So I don't know any short cuts or anything like that. I also know my way to the interstate so I can get to school. I am slowly learning my way around the area but Bonnie and I don't venture out much. So Wednesday it had been raining and on my way home a road that I take was closed for some reason. I had dinner plans that night and I knew if I turned around and took the interstate I wasn't going to make it to dinner. So I followed the other cars. I just decided to follow some random car and take every turn they were going to take and hope they were going where I was going. And it worked! I picked the right car too because not every car went the same way. I was so relieved when I was finally in a fimiliar setting.
This may seem really insignificant to most, and when I was telling the story people were like....cool? But my life has been so full of stress lately. And I am mostly under stress because I am not trusting God with situations in my life like I should be. Sure, I'll pray about stuff but after "amen" I'm not done worrying. So to me, this was God's way of saying "HELLO! I HAVE BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME. YOU CAN TRUST ME!" And sometimes I just need to be reminded of that even if it is while I am driving.

Happy Birthday Princess Brianna

Today is a very important day, not only is it Thursday and my last day of work before the weekend, it is my niece's FOURTH birthday. I am in total shock that this day is already here. I still remember the day that Stephen and Amanda told us they were going to have a baby, the day she was born, the first time I met Bri, and every hug and kiss I got in between. She is growing up to be such a sweet little girl. She loves everything a southern girl loves- sweet tea, anything fried, chocolate and princesses. I was skeptical at first about getting another baby girl in the family, since I am supposed to be the baby, but now she is one of my best friends and I don't know what  I would do without her. I love you so much Princess Brianna Happy 4th Birthday!