January

I have always done better at completing tasks or assignments if I wrote them out and made a list. This is proving to be true with my last post twenty-six.

I checked the following items off of my list:

1. Run. This is something I will continue to work on through the year. I did get fitted for a good pair of running shoes, which has helped my knee pain, making running more enjoyable!

3. Buy a house. We didn't check this one off the list, but we made baby steps! We had our first appraisal on the home we want to purchase. We are waiting to hear back from that now.

5. Explore NC. I was able to spend a day with my mother-in-law, Cindy, and her mother, Grandma Weaver, touring Biltmore Estate. We did an audio tour through the estate and enjoyed lunch at the Stable Cafe.  (I wish I could say I took pictures...I am working on being better at that)

10. Try a new restaurant every month. I blew this one out of the water. I ate at 3 new restaurants this month. We celebrated my sister-in-law, Christina's, birthday at Fourth Street Filling Station. We went for lunch, and it was delicious. Mister Dream Boat took me on a date to Brothers (ok, twice). Both times I got a salad, but he really loved the BBQuban sandwich. Then, it was a first time for me eating at the Stable Cafe while at the Biltmore. I had a bison burger, and it was pretty incredible.

15. Take a trip with my brothers. Ok, this hasn't happened yet. But, we arranged a weekend get away that we will be taking in February.

17. Read a new book every month. I read Nicholas Spark's newest book The Longest Ride. When I finished, I told Kenny, "You know it was a good book when you get a little depressed when it is finished". Any suggestions for February's book?

18. Become a notary public. I didn't do this.. but I signed up for the required class in March. One step closer!

19. Drink more water. I have been trying..really..kinda..sorta..

20. Random acts of kindness. I sent out a few care packages to long distance friends this month. Nothing big.. just a little something that I hope brightened their days.

21. Take more naps. I literally think I took a nap every weekend in January. I wish I could keep that streak up!

22. Quality time with my dream boat. Kenny and I made an effort to have one "date night" each week, just the two of us. Being a grown up sucks sometimes.. the best part about it is being married to him.

twenty-six

My birthday was just over a month ago, and since then I have been thinking about different things I want to accomplish in my 26^th year of life.  Here are 26 things I want to do this year, in no particular order.

1. Run.  I have a love/hate relationship with running, but one of the greatest feelings is completing a good run. I have participated in several 5ks. My ultimate goal is to run a half marathon. For now, I am starting with a 10k in Charleston, SC in April. I am trying to convince my whole family to do it with me.

2. A month of freezer meals. I read an article about preparing a month’s worth of freezer meals in one afternoon. I don’t like to cook, but I don’t like spending tons of money eating out either. I think this would help eliminate temptation to pick something up on the way home.

3. Buy a house. We found a cute little house on 5 acres of land, with a large workshop, that will be perfect for us.  It is a funny story of how we stumbled across this house...But that is for a different day. We hope to start the paper work this month.

4. Get a promotion. In October I started a new job with the local credit union. I love it, and I am so glad I made the switch. There is so much room for growth, and I hope to earn a promotion by November.

5. Explore NC.  I am blessed to live in such a beautiful state. In 2013 I had plans to hike and go to the Apple Festival that fell through. This year, I want to take time to enjoy the things this beautiful state has to offer.

6. Be a Proverbs 31 woman and wife.  This scripture was read at my Great-Grandmother’s funeral when I was a little girl. I want to be remembered like she is. If you aren’t familiar with the passage, take a moment to read it.

7. Take more pictures. I love looking back at pictures, but I am horrible at remembering to TAKE pictures. This is such a fun time in my life..being a newlywed(ish), and an aunt..I want to be able to look back at pictures of this time years from now.

8. Save money, and pay off some debt.  I would really like to have Kenny’s truck, and mower paid off this year. I would also like to open a Money Market savings account.

9. Take a class. I am not even sure what kind of class..sewing? pottery?

10. Try a new restaurant every month. Kenny and I tend to stick with our “go-to” restaurants, but I would like to branch out. Our January restaurant was The Fourth Street Filling station, and it was delicious. I can’t wait to see where February takes us. Any suggestions?

11. Be crafty.  I like being able to start a project, and complete it. For me, the before and after is the best part.

12. Write more letters. I feel like writing letters and cards is a lost art. It makes my day when I check my mail and receive something other than bills…hopefully I can make someone else’s day by sending them a note.

13. Travel. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given to travel in the past.  I have been to Africa twice (Egypt, and South Africa), and Europe twice (Italy, France, Spain, Germany, England, Ireland, and Greece). Kenny and I went to Cozumel, Mexico for our honeymoon.  My family and I went to the Bahamas a few years ago. I would love to travel internationally again, but I feel like there is so much in the U.S. that I haven’t seen!

14. Be more hospitable. I love having people over for parties and meals, and I hope to do more of that once we buy a house and get settled. I really want to get a grill and have cook outs this summer.

15. Take a trip with my brothers. I am blessed with 2 of my best friends also being my brothers. Now that we are grown, with our own lives and families, it is hard to spend as much time together as I would like. I would like to take a long weekend, just the 3 of us..it doesn’t matter where.

16. Get to know my parents. Of course, I have known my parents my whole life…but I want to get to know them as people. I want to know their stories, their dreams, regrets, and favorite things.

17. Read a new book every month. I love to read, but just don’t make the time anymore.  I hope this goal will help. Any suggestions?

18. Become a notary public. I don’t really know why this has always been a goal of mine. With my new job, they will pay for me to do this, so I might as well take advantage of that.

19. Drink more water. I really struggle with this. Diet Dr. Pepper just tastes so much better!!

20. Random acts of kindness. I can think of several times I was on the receiving end of a random act of kindness in the last year, and I want to pay it forward. Whether it is paying for someone behind me in line, or sending a care package to a friend..I want to be kind to others.

21. Take more naps. Kenny laughed when I told him this one, probably because I took an awesome nap this afternoon and couldn’t stop talking about it when I woke up. We hope to start trying for a baby in the next year or two, and I want to take advantage of all the time I have to sleep now.

22. Quality time with my dream boat. Quality time is hands down, without question, my love language. We have recently started playing racquetball together, and it has been so much fun. He has also committed to running a 5k with me, and doing the 10k in April. That in itself has made my love cup overflow. I just love that guy and enjoy hanging out with him. I look forward to being able to do that for a long time, ya know, like the rest of my life.

23. Go to more concerts. Other than The Avett Brothers on NYE, and Hillsong for my birthday, I don’t remember going to any other concerts in 2013. That has got to change in 2014.

24. Kayak. I have only been kayaking a handful of times in my life, but I have always enjoyed it. Time to start doing things that I enjoy more.

25. Become more confident. I hope accomplishing some of my other goals will help make this happen. I have always struggled with my self-esteem, but I am tired of feeling trapped by it.

26. Put my phone down. I have a beautiful life, and sometimes I need to “unplug” and enjoy what is right in front of me. 

P.S.

I wanted to add a few little fun tidbits to my last entry, "Meet Mister", but I decided it was worth a P.S. post.

This is Meridith. My sweet friend who encouraged me to get out of bed to go to that first Charity:Water meeting. I am so glad she came to pick me up, since that was the first night I officially met my Mister. I don't think I have ever told her THANK YOU! I owe her some gas money or something.

Well, if you remember, Meridith and her new friend Will, joined us the night of our first "date" to listen to Tyler Nail perform. I am beginning to wonder if there was something in the water that night...because Meridith and Will ended up getting married on April 28, 2012. Wasn't she a beautiful bride?

Speaking of Tyler Nail...He did end up helping us with an AWESOME fundraiser for Charity:Water. I had a great time working with him and planning the whole thing. When Kenny and I were planning our wedding, it only made sense to us to ask him to play during the ceremony. It was so special to me, and really made the whole thing come full circle. I watch my wedding video sometimes just to hear him sing, "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You". It was incredible. Do yourself a favor and check out his music here .

Meet Mister

On March 5, 2011 I went on a "date" that would change my life as I knew it. I say "date" because I actually went out with him and his mother. Let me explain.

In 2009 I was given the opportunity to travel to Egypt. It was an incredible experience, and something I will never forget. I fell in love with Africa. So when my church decided to partner with Charity:Water, an organization that raises money to drill wells in Africa, I was on board to help anyway that I could. At the time, I lived almost an hour and a half away from my church, but knew that is where the Lord wanted me. In February 2011, I had surgery on a Friday morning.. 2 days later was our first Charity:Water meeting at church. I did NOT feel like going...but my friend Meridith said she would come get me, and we could leave if I needed to. I rolled out of bed when she pulled up, and we headed to church.

At the meeting I made the comment, "I don't want to just raise the money, I want to GO to Africa". A lady I had never seen before casually replied, "Well go with me". About that time, HE walked in. I had definitely seen him before. I remember the first time so vividly. I practically had to pick my jaw up off the floor. My exact words to a friend, "What a dream boat". I don't even know what that means. Anyway, he walked into the meeting and started talking to the lady I had never seen before...it was his mother.  I talked to them after the meeting (mind you, I was not looking my best...2 days after surgery, sweat pants, etc.) and his mom told me about how she travels to South Africa every year to do mission work. I wanted to know more..so we decided we would meet for dinner after I recovered a little more.

A few weeks later, I was sitting at work, when I looked down at my phone and saw I had a missed call from HIM. I immediately told my boss I was going to lunch, and went out to my car to call him back. He said he was going to join us for dinner since he had been with his mom twice before. We planned dinner for that Friday. I already had plans to go with Meridith and her new friend, Will,  later on to listen to Tyler Nail play music. We were trying to get him to do a benefit show for Charity:Water. Somehow I got the courage up to ask HIM to go along to that after dinner.

So, on March 5th, I went to dinner with HIM and his mother. After hearing the stories of South Africa, I was sold. I was going on that trip with her. After dinner, he and I  met up with Meridith and Will and headed off to see Tyler Nail perform. After the performance, I took HIM home, and as he was getting out of the car he said, "can I take you to lunch after church tomorrow?"...I almost melted in my seat. Every weekend after, one of us would make the 1 1/2 hour trip to see each other. That June I quit my job, moved home, and then traveled to meet his mother in South Africa for over 3 weeks. The rest is history.

Our Charity:Water team

Father's Day 2011 - The day he told me he loved me

September 2011 - His brother, David's, wedding

December 2011 - Our 1st Christmas

June 3, 2012 - Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times, yes!

August 2012 - One of my favorite engagement shots

October 13, 2012 - I married HIM, my dream boat

It is hard to believe we will celebrate our first wedding anniversary in just over a week. Being his wife is my greatest accomplishment, my biggest blessing, and my most important ministry. 

"Always remember there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name"

How it all started..

 

I turned 25. My quarter-life crisis hit me full force. I was a little over a month into marriage and I had a fear of losing "myself" in my wedded bliss. I loved (and still love) my husband, and I loved supporting him in all of his various activities. I soon realized, however, that my "hobbies" had become going to watch HIS softball games, HIS basketball games, and hanging out with HIS friends while HE played music. I freaked. What did I have that was MINE?! I am sure my Mom felt this way at one point or another with 3 kids pulling her in 100 different directions with sporting events, music lessons, horseback riding, etc. But I am not a mom yet, I am a wife.

 

So, I started reflecting on my life. What did I like to do? I drew a blank. Then I realized.. through high school and college, my hobbies depended on the guy I was dating. One guy liked the outdoors, so I did too. Another guy liked the music scene, so I did too. Maybe that is why I was so devastated after break ups? I not only lost the guy, but the friends, and the hobbies that went along with him. Then I had a real come-to-Jesus moment. Had I treated these guys as idols? Had I found my worth in them? Had I put them before the Lord that I serve and worship? The thought wrecked my heart. Luckily I serve a God whose grace and forgiveness comes in undeserving abundance.

As a daughter of the King of kings, the Great Redeemer & the Most High God,  it occurred to me that I was worth much more.  Surely my Heavenly Father wants me to enjoy and explore this wondrous life He has given me.   I just had to figure out where to start.

One thing I have always enjoyed is writing (and receiving) letters. My Great Uncle Dave and I have been pen pals for a while. I reached out to him..maybe he would have some ideas. Boy, did he!! He wrote me a letter back with pages and pages of suggestions, from one extreme to the next. Knitting,   Racey Casey's Smokin' Hott Clothing Boutique, adopting a dog, joining a theatre, and starting a blog are just a few of his suggestions. My responses: Knitting? Eh, maybe. Racey Casey's Smokin' Hott Clothing Boutique? HA! No. Adopting a dog? YES! Joining a theatre? Maybe. Starting a blog? No. No way. That was until I went to the Becoming 2013 Conference.

 

My mom and I signed up for this ladies only retreat that focuses on "becoming" a Proverbs 31 woman. The speakers gave workshops on couponing, entertaining, DIY crafts, fashion, etc. I was inspired by all of these women, and learned that many of them had started by blogging. They blogged about meal prep, homeschooling, crafts, etc. I decided then and there to start a blog about finding myself within my marriage. I love my husband, and love supporting him in all of his hobbies and endeavors..but I should not feel guilty about finding my own. This blog will follow me on my journey to find myself and learn new things.