Just one more candle and a trip around the sun

Happy 50th 39th Birthday Mama Lisa! 

(because "mommies never get older than 39", right mom?)

Today is my mother's birthday, and I don't think she is fond of the idea of being "half a century" in age. But that's ok, because I'm embracing it for her. 

Happy Birthday Mama! 

Fifty!

Fiddy!

50!

5-0!

Roman numeral L! 

And since I never did a sappy post on Mother's Day, proclaiming to all the hundreds of thousands of my readers (false) about how I really do have the Best Mom Ever, let me share these values and virtues that this gorgeous, selfless, half-marathon training, margarita pizza making, fifty year old woman has instilled in me.

Lisa Louise's Life Lessons: 

1. "Wear something decent and look presentable."

Ever since I could dress myself, she has been reminding me that "there is a time and a place for gym shorts and a t-shirt". Seeing as a good 75% of my wardrobe is comprised of Nike running shorts and cherished t-shirts, I should probably tattoo this mantra to my forehead.

Please don't kill me for posting this.  I had to bring it out of hiding because 1) even at nine months pregnant you were a total babe and 2) I finally understand my affinity for Jeep Cherokees and navy and white stripes! It all makes sense now.

2. Hospitality. Hospitality. Hospitality. 

A home is for bringing people together, sharing a good meal, and making your guests feel as special and loved as possible. But before they get there, you better get that house looking as good as it can.

I am wearing Little Mermaid socks and you are wearing pants that words can't even describe, yet somehow your big beautiful smile is the focal point of this picture. 

3. "Everything in moderation."

From ice cream, to Facebook, to exercise, to shopping, to anything... everything worth doing should be done in moderation. 

Possibly my favorite picture, ever. Gonna need to slap a frame on this one. 

4. "Take pride in all that you do."

You are constantly presenting yourself to the world around you. In your actions, your words, and your completion of seemingly meaningless tasks. In what way do you want to be portrayed?

Hilton Head, South Carolina, 1996. My first visit to her old stomping grounds.

5. "You catch more flies with honey 

than with vinegar."

Most people want to be around someone who is oozing sunshine, positivity, and kind words . When you are nice to someone (ie: a receptionist), they are generally more likely to help you out.  When all you have to offer is negativity and a whiny voice, you will probably only attract other whiny pessimists.

Hilton Head, fourteen years later.  

Happy birthday Mom. I love you more than a lifetime full of Diet Coke, dark chocolate M&Ms, and Friday Night Lights.

Let's get this party started!

Post title reference: "Trip Around the Sun" - Jimmy Buffett featuring Martina McBride

Appalachian State University: An Ode to My Freshman Year

 I've told this story about a hundred times too many. But it is a story worth telling, and if you are interested enough in my life to come check my little blog, then perhaps you would care to learn about my Appalachian adventure. So here it is, in pictures and captions only.

I fell in love with Boone, NC after a lifetime full of family vacations to North Cackalacky. Pictured: the house that is, was, and forever will be my dream home. Once I make millions as a high school history teacher, it will be all mine.

I spent the summer of 2009 counting down the days until I could make a fresh start in a town that was700 miles from home.

I moved into a teeny tiny little dorm room with a bathroom down the hall on a co-ed floor.
Note: This was the first and last time I ever made that bed.

I looked out my window every thirty seconds. Wouldn't you?!

My roommate and I bonded through hiking expeditions and daily meals at the campus Chick-fil-a.

I suffered through the Swine Flu with said roommate.

I made some fun new friends, and we did pretty much everything together. We practiced our "sorority smiles" whenever we could and this off-centered, self-timed photo serves as embarrassing proof.

I decided I wanted to become a Grecian and went through rush.

I received and accepted a bid to the sorority at the very top of my list, Alpha Delta Pi.

I became close with my pledge class as we learned the Divine Secrets of the ADPi Sisterhood. 

I also learned the importance of the "big/little sorority squat". (My grandbig was not a pot of fake flowers, as this picture falsely suggests.)

I rocked the "black and yellow" on the reg. Sadly, Wiz Khalifa had not released his obnoxious song yet or I'm sure it would have made it to my Top 25 Most Played iTunes playlist. (Note: The building in the left corner was my dorm)

 "Mixers" (aka swaps) were probably my favorite part of Greek life.
Pictured: Revenge of the Nerds.

I really embraced the different themes of the different mixers.
Pictured: 80's Night.

Sometimes I even hand crafted my outifts/costumes.
Pictured: ADPi's Mallard Ball

I spent a lot of my time with my ADPi sisters.
I tailgated with them,

I picked up trash with them,

and I even studied the Bible with them.

I was slightly homesick, but my, oh my, the fall semester was memorable.

I cheered on the Mountaineers at every home football game.

I celebrated my 19th birthday with big hopes and long hair.

I rode in the back of a pick up truck to ADPi's formal.

And I danced. And danced, and danced, and danced.
(My elbow isn't deformed. Promise.)

But then the snow came.
By mid-March, we had received around ten feet of snow. I flat out hated the constant snow storms and single digit temperatures, despite how much I loved my Patagonia fleeces and L.L. Bean boots.


(I don't have many pictures from this season of my life because I spent most of my time curled up in bed with the History Channel and a freezer full of Lean Cuisine's. And I wish I was making that up. I am still convinced that me and most of my dorm were inflicted with Seasonal Depression... It's real folks.)

When I wasn't wallowing in self pity and desperately calling home,  I was forming friendships with the people that lived on my floor.

I hung out with my new dorm friends in our lobby until the wee hours of the night.

I somewhat randomly decided to transfer to Florida State, and then I somewhat randomly met my future FSU roommate/BFF right there in Boone, NC. It was totally a "God thing". Stay tuned for a future post. (Sara is on the far left.)

And I went to Walmart. A lot.

After months of a gloomy gray sky, the sun came out. And all was right in the world again.

I started hanging out a lot with a sweet girl named Abby, and soon we became close friends. I could not have been blessed with Abby at a better time! She had an enormous impact on my life, and I love her dearly.
(You hear that Abby?! I love you! And I can't wait until I make my way up to Rocky Mount one day. Or maybe just show up on your doorstep in Boone one random weekend this school year...who knows?)

And eventually, I had to say goodbye.
This picture was taken moments after Ryan (left) and Chris/Abby's Boyfriend (right) helped me pack my little white Jeep to the gills, and moments before I would ride into the sunset, and out of Boone.

And that, my friends, was my year as a Mountaineer.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

Grace: (noun) The free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings

As a famous old hymn once said, grace is amazing. I liken it to finding a $20 bill tucked away in an old wallet when both your gas tank and bank account are empty. Or groggily waking up in the middle of the night, only to realize that you still have a solid five hours of sleep before your alarm goes off. Or forgetting to write a paper, but awakening to three feet of fresh snow and a university that 
is officially "closed" for the day. 

But God's grace is about a million times better. Because it's eternal. And free. And full of blessings far greater and more perfect than we could ever receive from anyone else.

A few days ago, this whole concept finally clicked. 

It was a normal day at summer camp, and my group was about to change into our bathing suits for our two hours of swim time. But then a big fat summer storm rolled in. So instead of water slides and one-piece tan lines, we were forced to go spend a portion of that time in the aerobics room. Although it has plenty of extra space to do activities ("Stepbrothers" reference), it also has HUGE mirror walls. Perfect for women tryin' to get their yoga groove on, but terrible for camp counselors in charge of children who are for some unknown reason magnetized to mirrors. The bigger the better. They run up, smush their little faces, and smear their handprints all over them. My supervisors are known for getting upset about messed up mirrors, and I have enough to worry about without bringing Windex into the equation. 

So I'm pretty strict. 

We made our way up to the aerobics room and I told the kids to close their mouths, park their bottoms, and listen up. 

"Boys and girls, you are NOT to touch the mirrors. At all. That means don't put your hands on them, don't put your faces on them, don't lean against them, don't even breathe on them. This is your one and only warning. If I see you making contact with the mirrors, I will put you in time-out for the rest of the time that we are in this room. Again, this is your only warning. Don't. Touch. The. Mirrors."

Five minutes goes by, and guess what? A little boy is high-fiving himself in the mirror. And then flattening his nose against the mirror. And then breathing on the mirror and writing his name in the fog. I would like to say that I took a deep breath, calmly walked over, crouched down to eye-level with the child, and then explained to him that he was breaking the rules. HAHA um, no...that is definitely not what happened. 

"BOBBY!", I screamed from across the room, "WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING THE MIRRORS?!? Get over here NOW. You are in time-out...FOR A REALLY LONG TIME!!!!"

Then I put him in time-out, reprimanded him for blatantly breaking the rules, and told him that he would have to sit there and watch the rest of us play fun games for at least another 45 minutes. I knew he felt pretty terrible about it because he didn't even make eye-contact with me the entire time. 

Well, my bark is a lot worse than my bite. I couldn't stand to see him sitting there close to tears watching all the other kids having fun. So about ten minutes into his punishment, I walked over and sat down. 

Before I even had a chance to speak he quickly apologized.

 "I'm really sorry Miss Amanda. I won't ever do that again." 

"I know," I responded, "that's why I'm going to let you out of time out right now."

His face lit up with a big smile as he said: 

"You mean I even get to play games and stuff?"

And that's when it hit me. This situation is not unique. 

God was very clear in giving us rules. He gave us ten big ones on big ol' stone tablets. You might know them as "the Ten Commandments"(Exodus 20: 1-21). Then Jesus came along, and He gave us two more (Mark 12:28-31). And God was pretty clear in forewarning us of our punishment if we were to break the rules (Romans 6:23). And day in and day out, we break the rules. From committing crimes worthy of jail time, to worshipping the idols of fortune, fame, and success, to simply just being jealous of that brand new car that a friend is driving, 


we rub our filthy hands all over the mirrors.

The difference in the story is that God doesn't impatiently lash out at us, as I did to the little boy. Instead He loves us in a big, bold, and recklessly generous way (Romans 5:8). He offers us the gift of grace, if we choose to accept it. (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-9) He willingly sent His only son to live a perfect, sinless life, and receive the punishment in our place. But it doesn't even end there. God forgives and forgets. We are not only liberated from the punishment of an eternity apart from Him, but then we are given the truly satisfying freedom of knowing Christ and living in His blessings. 

We get to "play games and stuff".

Our God is good. He is faithful, He is just, and He is loving. 

And I can't help but love Him back. 

Summer Camp: Week Two

Welp, it's only the second week on the job and I'm 
already taking vacations. 

I spent the first half of the week with Mom and JB on a quick trip to Tallahassee for JB's orientation. I had been looking forward to the trip for a long time and it was SO nice to be at my second home, even though it was just for a few days. It seems like the Florida State preview reassured JB that he has made a great decision in choosing the Seminoles over the Gators. 

JB is really fun to road trip with...NOT. Its cool though, Mom and I still jammed out, drank Diet Coke,
and talked about life.

Embarrassing JB: part 1

Embarrassing JB: part 2

The Chick-fil-a cow! 
(And a brother that is clearly annoyed by how obnoxious Mom and I are with the camera.)

Sadly, the get-away was short-lived and I was back to camp by Thursday. To be honest, the kids were pretty awful this week. Rowdy, whiny, rude, etc.  Not an hour went by that one of them didn't cry over something silly. It all kind of seems silly to me though. I guess I have to remember that when you are eight years old, and your BFF tells you that they don't want to be your friend anymore because their team lost to yours in the kickball game, it is pretty much the end of the world as you know it. 

Oh, to be a third grader. 

Thursday is field trip day, and this week we went to the Florida Oceanographic Society. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun the kids (and I) had, despite the heat index of 105 degrees. The best part of the day: watching the kids pet and feed the sting rays. Yes, stinger-less sting rays. They could've stayed at that exhibit all day if we would've let them! 

A man-made salt water pond stocked with loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, and a variety of fish. Pretty darn cool. 

(PS. Notice how their shirts say "unlimited potential"? I love that.)

I think I said "Use your gentle hands!" about a hundred times. 

All the chitlins gathered around the sting ray tank

The brave little men of Red Group. 

I am happy to report that I am now Facebook friends with 11 out of 12 of my co-working Camp Counselors. Only four of us are returners from last year, and I didn't know any of the others prior to training. Hooray for new friends! One of my favorite things about camp is getting to spend 35+ hours a week laughing, complaining, and comparing ridiculous stories with my co-workers. I make close to minimum wage, but I gain so much more than just a paycheck. I know, I know. I'm super cheesy. But seriously, I can't get over how much I love this job...smelly, germ infested, dandruffy children and all. 

Summer Camp: Week One

As you may or may not know, I am working as a camp counselor for the second consecutive summer. When my alarm clock goes of at 6:00 AM (Monday through Friday), my drowsy self wonders why I would choose to spend my summer being responsible for the safety and entertainment of hyper, whiny, and sassy children. 

But then I get to camp. A camper runs over, gives me a (side) hug, and says "Hey Miss Amanda! I can't wait to go swimming today! Look at my hat! Isn't it cool?!? Guess what, I brought a fruit roll up for lunch! Did you know I can catch lizards with my bare hands?!?"

I smile, laugh, and think to myself, "I get paid to hang out with kids all day, goofy and crazy as they are.

Does it get any better than this?"

Last summer. Not my hand(s).

Most days I come close to tears. Sometimes through laughter, sometimes through learning about the kids' family circumstances , and sometimes just in awe of how beautifully unique God creates each of His children. They are all SO different.

This summer I get to work with the "red group" (a.k.a soon-to-be third graders, a.k.a eight year olds.)

Memorable moments of week one: 

 Scene: Arts and crafts time. Activity: Draw a picture of you and your family, and write three things about yourself. Camper: Stands up and proudly holds up his piece of construction paper. "This is a picture of my family. And the three things about me are: I'm fast, I'm awesome, and everybody loves me." Sits down.  

 Scene: The playground, which is adjacent to a big blacktop, basketball court, tent with picnic tables, and vending machines off to the side. I was walking around the playground during "free-play" time, and came across a camper crouching in a small place between the vending machines and the wall. Obviously, this concerned me. 

I walked over and not so calmly asked, "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Well, its really, really hot," replied the 6 year old "and there is a fan back here inside the vending machine, and its keeping me cool."

Bless his little heart. 

Scene: Arts and crafts time. The kids were using beads and yarn to make necklaces and/or bracelets 

(only slightly less tacky than macaroni jewelry). I walked around the room, supervising and talking to the kids. One little girl looked up at me and said "I'm making mine for someone special." 

"Aw, thats sweet," I said. "Who is it for? Your mom?"

Her response: "No, I don't live with my mom. She did too many drugs. It's for my grandma."

No emotion in her sweet little face, and only a tone of certainty in her voice. 

Heartbreaking can't even describe it.  

This week we had a camper that has a seemingly mild form of Downs Syndrome (I'll refer to him as Johnny). My first thought when I saw him Monday morning was "Oh no, we are going to have to help him do everything and the kids are going to be plain awful to him." False. Turns out Johnny is high functioning, hilarious, sweet as can be, and really popular among the other campers. It was almost as if the kids (especially those with behavioral problems) were magnetized to him.  They loved him, and were genuinely kind to him. One 9 year old boy that constantly gets reprimanded and put in time out spent close to an hour throwing a kickball back and forth with him one morning. And then he proceeded to help Johnny get water from the cooler whenever he was thirsty. It was heartwarming, adorable, and completely the opposite of what I would have expected. Halfway through the week I jokingly asked Johnny if I was his favorite counselor. "No, " he said, "you are my friend!" 

Melted. My. Heart. 

My new group of friends on this week's field trip to the bowling alley.

I am so eager to see what the rest of this summer has in store. I have so much to learn, and I know God has so much to teach me through these precious little people. Lessons in patience, compassion, and humility would be a good start. 

 I need to constantly remind myself that every word I say and every little thing I do could stick with them for a long, long time.

What do I want them to remember?

Axis of Evil: Nickelodeon edition

Warning:

 I am currently standing on my soap box. 

Which is located way up high on my ivory tower.

Tonight I babysat. I genuinely love babysitting and have been blessed to have worked for some wonderful families over the years. Tonight was no different than any other babysitting gig: show up on time, play with the kids in the backyard, feed them dinner, break up a couple of silly sibling arguments, watch some TV, gently force them to brush their teeth, and gently force them to go to bed.

But tonight I had the distinct pleasure of watching the "iParty with VicTORIous: World Premier". I know, I know... you're jealous.  If you're privileged enough to have no clue as to what I'm talking about, I'll start by saying that it was a 90 minute episode combining the Nickelodeon shows iCarly and VicTORIous, which are both, for the record, rated TV- G.

My first thought: "Wow, that little teacher's pet girl from School of Rock sure got pretty..."

My second thought: "Holy cow this laugh track is annoying..."

My thoughts during the remaining 89 minutes: "You have got to be kidding me. This stuff is on Nickelodeon at 8:00 pm? Do they realize how young their audience is? What happened to Figure it Out and all that green slime and those catchy Nick Magazine commercials? Maybe I should change the channel to TV Land. Why is that girl being so sassy to her teacher? I wonder what channel Full House reruns are on...Why are these scantily clad characters drinking out of Solo cups and dancing to rap music at an unsupervised party in a random mansion? WHY ARE THEY LOOKING FOR CLOSETS TO MAKE OUT IN?!?"

The premise for the episode was this: the two leading female characters of iCarly and VicTORIous were unknowingly dating the same guy, and were therefore being "cheated on". Both of them were madly in love with the guy and totally stoked about their approaching three month anniversaries. Halfway through the episode, iCarly realized she was being duped and then formulated a plan to catch him and the VicTORIous girl in the act. Cue ridiculous party scene. Some VicTORIous character had access to Kenan Thompson's (as in Kenan and Kel) mansion, and decided to throw a party there. iCarly and her friends got wind of it via Twitter. Meanwhile, the unsuspecting VicTORIous character (I think her name is Tori...) and the sleezy guy were trying to figure out what closet they would have their "Hundred Day Kiss" in. I have no idea if this is a real life thing that happens between real life 14 year olds, but apparently its some sort of custom to have a really awesome kick butt grandaddy of a kiss at midnight on the hundredth day that you have been dating. Heaven help us all. Meanwhile, iCarly shows up, catches dumbo giving his other girlfriend the same exact charm bracelet using the same exact cheesy lines, she becomes best friends with the VicTORIous chick, and then they both take revenge on him by exposing his unfaithful ways through iCarly's uberfamous video-blog. And then all the kids at the party join together in a choreographed dance and sing some song about being happy.

Call me an old-fashioned prude, but I think a plot like that is a tad bit mature for the 1st, 3rd, and 6th graders I was babysitting.

And I'm not trying to trash anyone's parenting style. If anything, I want to commiserate with them.  Gone are the days when you could flick on a children's TV network at prime time and catch a great episode of Boy Meets World. Or 7th Heaven. Or Smart Guy. Or a Disney Channel "Original Movie". The list goes on. I can't even imagine how hard it is to raise morally sound children amidst this craziness. It kinda stresses me out just thinking about it.

But I think I feel even worse for the pre-teen, tween, and young teenaged girls. I hate the portrayal of "cool" as back-talking to parents and teachers, dressing in teeny tiny outfits with buttloads of makeup, going to random house parties, and having a serious boyfriend to share a Hundred Day Kiss with. All at age 14. Barf.

That's not what being "cool" is all about. 

And the vast majority of 14 year olds do not live a life like that.

And who knows how awful its going to be by the time I have children. The TV shows of the 2030's will probably make "iParty with Victorious" seem as innocent and charming as I Love Lucy.

Bottom line: I am gonna go ahead and buy all the box sets of Full House, Brady Bunch, and Even Stevens that I can...'cause thats all my kids are gonna watch. 

Post title reference: The SNL skit in which Will Farrell imitates George Bush's "Axis of Evil". No , I don't like seeing the  media pick on ol'  Dubya. But yes, I think that 30 seconds of the skit is hilarious.

Wanderlustin'.

I  love road trips. 

I don't know what exactly it is about them. Maybe its the free time to just sit and truly listen to, not just hear, a lot of music (I have at least three different playlists specifically for road trips). Maybe its the scenery and the reminder that our world is SO big and beautiful, and we only inhabit a small portion of it. Maybe its the opportunity to have great conversations with the people you are traveling with, since there really isn't an escape. Maybe its the gas station junk food that we all shamelessly eat  (everyone knows that road trips are a completely viable excuse to not eat healthy for the day). Or maybe its just the spontaneity and adventure. 

I have recently learned and added a new word to my vocabulary, wanderlust. 

Wanderlust: (n) a strong desire to travel

And man oh man am I wanderlustin' these days. I love Martin County, but after being home for a month and a half waiting for my summer job to start, I want to get the heck outta dodge for a few days. 

So here are the places I would go if I had a gas card with a million dollars on it, my adventurous friends, and a car that is more reliable than my 11 year old Jeep. 

10. Washington D.C.
I love America. I love history. And I don't think I need anymore reasons.

Photo source: Pinterest

9. Oxford, MS
One of my friends is a Kappa at Ole Miss. She genuinely loves the school, loves Mississippi, loves Oxford, and loves the Rebels. And I feel like I would too. So I just might have to pay her and The Grove a visit one Saturday in the fall. Hotty Toddy!

Photo source: http://www.vaughthemingway.com

8. Boone, NC
I'm pretty sure it was all part of God's plan for me to spend my freshman year at Appalachian State before transferring to Florida State. And I love Florida State, more than I ever thought I could. But part of my heart and a handful of close friends are still in Boone. And I can't wait to visit them again, and consume as much Woodlands BBQ, Cheerwine, and Cookout milkshakes as possible. (Abby, if you are reading this, I hope you know how thankful I am for you! And I can't wait to see you and Rocky Mount one day!)

The view from my dorm window during the fall of my freshman year. Not too shabby.

Laura and I during our first real winter! We were both born and raised in Stuart, went to the same elementary/middle school, and both ended up at App State. We enjoyed some great 12 hour road trips home together!

Me and my closest Boone friends taken during a weekend visit a few months ago. Miss you all SO much.
 (From left to right: Abby, Chris, Chris,  Me, Ryan). 

7. Key West, FL
As a native Floridian, I feel like this is just somewhere I need to go and cross of off my list.

Photo source:  pinterest

6. Savannah, GA
Mostly just to go to Paula Deen's restaurant. But also to check out the rockin' architecture of the Old South.

Photo source: Pinterest

5. Austin, TX
I've always had a random fascination with Texas and throughout middle school I was convinced I would spend my college years as a Longhorn. Clearly, I am not. But I still have a soft spot for that rusty orange and I would still love to spend a day or ten hanging out in the Lone Star State. And obviously buy myself a new pair of cowboy boots while I'm there.

Photo source: Pinterest 

4. New Orleans, LA
With Cafe duMonde,  the obnoxiousness of the Who Dat nation, and a culture uniquely its own, who wouldn't want to go to NOLA? My family and I celebrated Mardi Gras with our close family friends (that are native New Orlean-ians) last year, and I've been itchin' to go back ever since!

Photo source: Pinterest

Stephen, age 13,  being crazy as ever.

3. Charleston, SC
I have yet to talk to someone who doesn't like Charleston, and I can't imagine I would be the first.

Photo source: Pinterest

Photo source: My sweet friend Tracy's Facebook. She attends the College of Charleston, and loves it. Duh. (PS.  This picture kinda makes me want to be her)

2. Anywhere in the tornado torn South
Many of us have had the convenience of forgetting the marathon of death and devastation that took place throughout the South beginning on April 27. I hope I never do. I can't even imagine what it would be like to wake up in the morning with no expectations for the day, and have my world turned upside down by nightfall. I would really like to visit, and see the heartbreaking damage firsthand. I would love to help, in any way shape or form, knowing that anything I could do would only be a drop in the bucket of what needs to be done. Can you imagine what a change in perspective that would lead to? Instead of complaining that I have "nothing to wear", maybe I would look at my full closet and see opportunities to give to others what I take for granted. Instead of sitting at my house on a random summer night, complaining about how bored I am, maybe I would realize that there are people just like me who just lost their entire house, and possibly members of their family. Maybe after seeing all the devastation the Truth would finally sink in. I live a life full of undeserved blessings.

Absolutely heartbreaking. Photo Source: Pinterest

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." - Isaiah 46:10

1. Nashville, TN
On a lighter note, I reaaallllly wanna go to Nashville. So stinkin' bad. With all the honky tonks, neon lights, halls of fame, and legendary superstars, its like the Disney World of country music. And I want to go there. ASAP. 

Photo source: Pinterest

Photo source: Pinterest

(My friend/roommate Sara and I are talking about planning a trip to Nashville for her 21st birthday/ college graduation. Does that sound perfect or what?!)




I really can't wait to go on one of those ten adventures. But until then, I am going to try as hard as possible to appreciate all that Martin County has to offer...'cause most people would call it paradise.
Love you all.