I've spent the past 4 days....

In tears. 

On Tuesday morning I received a phone call from a Knox County Sherriff.  Someone had broken into my home. They took the things that I hold most valuable - mainly jewelry.  They took my computer, Anna's computer, our digital cameras, and our jewelry.  I have lost some precious gifts from my parents, and some heirloom things of my grandmothers.  I would say that my heart hasn't hurt this bad in awhile but I'd be lying.

I had a little bit of a mini-melt down at work today.  Stupidly enough over my iPod - all I wanted to do last night was listen to my iPod and the battery was dead and I can't charge it because I don't have my computer.  I also don't have my music and my pictures and he deleted all my pictures off of my digital camera - that I did get back.  He even took my own bag - and filled it up with all my stuff.

The good news is that they caught the sorry s.o.b.'s that broke in here.  We got a thing or two back. I know that he's in jail and will be there for awhile.  I'm still crazy nervous and my nosey over-active neighbor is NOT helping the situation. 

The plan: move, as soon as possible.

Canada: Preview

I took about 150 photos from the weekend and plan to upload them to facebook and/or some other places but these are my favorites:

Bridal shower: The Bride - Steph

Rehersal Dinner: Momise, my Beautiful Grandmother

Pre-Wedding: The Parents, Rebecca & Charlie and the Groom - Lou

Post Wedding: Cousins - Rich - the Best Man, Lou - the Groom, me

Sunday Night

Usually, I take Sunday Nights to relax, wind down and prepare for the week ahead.  

Sunday Nights when I've been out of town on fun weekend get-a-ways are always so difficult for me. It's hard to come home and be by myself when I've been with other people for a few days and having so much fun.  Like this past weekend....

I spent the weekend in Nashville with about 10 others from Knoxville to celebrate Nick's birthday.  We had a blast! It was so much fun to be in one city with several friends who were all from another city!  It was a great time of celebrating Nick's life and birthday.  We went to Burger Up for dinner Friday and then to a dueling piano bar afterwards.  It was SO much fun!  The piano guys are so good and it's great to get them to play anything - pretty much anything!  We tipped them to play "The Greatest Country Western Song" and it was awesome!

Saturday night we went to Arrington Vineyards.  It's about 30 minutes south of Nashville and it is beautiful there.  We packed up a spread for dinner and went and picnicked out at the vineyards.  It had just finished raining and was a little wet but it was beautiful there.  They had a band playing a little easy listening tunes and there were tons of people there. It was quite humid but we had a good time just being together!

Brad, Kellye, Latisha, Carly, Nick, Jayme, Bryan, Me, Lori and Bobby...what a fun crowd!

Happy Birthday Nick!

I'd like to take a moment...

To revisit this quote:

"You don't quite know what it is you do want, 

but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! 

Mark Twain

 I have known for my whole life that there is something else there, something else that can fill that void of want in my life.  In full reality it is Jesus.  Only Jesus.  These things I know in my head and in my heart.  But there are other things that I want for my life.  They make my heart ache I want them so.  I'm waiting.  I'm waiting on Jesus' perfect timing.

I think of these words below and remind myself of DAILY:

God is God.  Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience.  I will find rest no where but in His Holy will, a will that is UNSPEAKABLY beyond my largest notions of what he is up to. 

Elisabeth Elliott

Now to Him who is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than all we ASK or IMAGINE, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be the Glory.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Friendship

Friendship is born at that moment 

when one person says to another: 

"What! You too? I thought I was the only one". 

C.S. Lewis

I love this - I saw it on a friend's fb (Thanks V.A.) this week and I just couldn't help but steal it! 

Crazy

oh. my. gosh. 

I am not even sure where to begin. And I don't know that I could write down everything that I'm feeling and thinking.  My heart and my head are in two different places.  Things have been absolutely CRAZY here, in my life. 

I had the most fabulous, relaxing week at the beach and then I came back to absolute chaos.  Well, that's what I feel like anyway.  I have had plans almost every minute of every day.  And the fun doesn't stop.  I've been working out of town this week and I will be for the next two weeks with plans out of town on the weekends.

This weekend I had planned to go home for Hamilton's birthday party.  The fact that it is at 10 AM on Saturday and the fact that I've been invited to parties in Knoxville on Friday and Saturday nights AND the fact that I'm going to be out of town the next two weekends has influenced my decision to stay in Knoxville.  I would really love to be there but the truth is that I'm not going to be able to spend time with Hamilton at this party.  I'd rather go to Greenville one weekend and hang out with him for the day.  That's my preference.  I'm going to plan a weekend to go down and hang out with Hamilton and Caldwell :)  I think it'd be super fun!

I'll miss seeing the fam this weekend.  

I've been more than a little homesick for SC lately.  

I'm looking forward to heading that way and seeing them in the near future :)