Perfect, Fabulous Weekend!

What a weekend! It was a whirlwind and went by quickly but the days seemed long! It really couldn't have been any better!

1. Dinner with my friend Nick on Friday at Taste of Thai! Hadn't been there in so long! Man, it was delicious!
2. Meeting friends out in Downtown Knox!
3. Breakfast at Pete's. That place was awesome! Definitely going back!
4. Diana's wedding! It was a beautiful, sweet wedding. I forgot how much I loved weddings and how special they are when I am truly excited for my friend getting married. I am so excited for Diana and Mark!

Loved seeing friends at this wedding!

It's just been an all around fabulous weekend! I am so sad that it's over. I am looking forward to this next week with plans to hang out with so many friends over the next few days! It has been a perfect ending to July!

Can you believe tomorrow is August?

A Mighty Fortress

About two weeks ago, we sang this song at church. It has been on my mind since then and has become a fav!

Encouragement from "Jesus Calling"

My mom gave me this little daily devotional called Jesus Calling. It uses scripture. It's written from the perspective of Jesus. And pretty much every time I open it, the words are specifically what I needed for that day. The following verses are from today's passage and while it's not really that uplifting, I find that these verses are so very encouraging. And I specifically love all the references to Light.

Self Pity is slimy bottomless pit. Once you fall in, you tend to go deeper and deeper into the mire. As you slide down those slippery walls, you are well on your way to depression and the darkness is profound. 

Your only hope is to look up and see the Light of My Presence shining down on you. Though the Light looks dim from your perspective, deep in the pit, those rays of hope can reach you at any depth. While of the abyss of despair. Finally, you can reach up and grasp My hand. I will pull you out of into the Light again. I will gently cleanse you, washing off the clinging mire. I will cover you with My righteousness and walk with you down the path of Life. 

Based on Psalm 40:2-3, Psalm 42:5 and Psalm 147:11.

A Weekend Hike

So, I've lived in East Tennessee almost 10 years - if you count my time in college...crazy?! And I have never been to Cades Cove, until this weekend. There is an 11 mile loop that you can drive through the Cove. There are tons of parking areas and places to get out and picnic or hike or just view the sites.

I just love this photo. It is so beautiful out there.

This weekend I went and did the Abram's Falls hike. It's a 5 mile round trip hike that is "moderately difficult" and believe me, it was! It is a pretty tough hike. The falls are gorgeous but it was HOOOTTT!!!

We hadn't been hiking long when this deer just jumped up on the trail. She was on the move but she stopped and looked at us like "what are you doing here"? It was a fun hike. I haven't been out in nature in awhile and it was nice to be without a cell phone and just enjoy being outside. Even though when we finished, I didn't have a dry stitch on me.

These are the falls. There were a lot of people out there swimming or wading. The water was cold but a welcome relief from the heat.

Friends

My mom sent me this and I thought it was pretty true!


FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Always bring the food. And lots of it.
  
FRIENDS: Will say 'hello'.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.
  
FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. And Mrs.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mom and Dad.
  
FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Cry with you. And for you.
  
FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing, and just being together. Then do the dishes.
  
FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you. And most of the time, know you better than you know yourself.
  
  
FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing. 
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' back-ends that left you.

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, 'Are you home?' 

FRIENDS: Are for a while.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Are for life.

I have been so blessed with Southern Friends.

What Have I been up to...

Over the past two weeks!?!

It's been awhile since I posted. I've been good about posting maybe once a week or something like that and I was reminded by my friend Melissa today that I haven't posted in almost two weeks.

Work has been REALLY busy. I've been working about 50 hours a week. Which really hasn't been too bad, it just hasn't left time for a whole lot else! I feel like I've had plans almost every night for about the past two weeks! I have really enjoyed hanging out with friends as a stress reliever. I have had a couple of really relaxing Saturdays catching up with friends and just hanging out.

This past Independence Day weekend was really great! I hung out with Anna for a little while and then went and met some friends out where they have live music. I went to the Farmer's Market in Market Square and had breakfast with Matt and Whitney at The French Market. It was fabulous. I had a cinnamon and banana crepe. It really was fabulous. I bought some blackberries and fresh chicken salad at the farmers market. The chicken salad folks are my favorite stop. This week I got Buffalo Blue Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach and Goat Cheese chicken salad! Yummy! That's all I've eaten from home since Saturday! And then I went to the pool all afternoon and watched a movie with Megan. I went to church and then watched a movie. Monday I went to two cookouts with TOO much food, fun, catching up and fireworks!

It was a movie weekend for me! I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I with Anna. It was really dark and pretty scary. I am interested to see how this all ends because it really seemed different than the movie. It has been several years since I read the books but it seemed really different and I have felt like the other books/movies have been so similar. I also watched Country Strong. Great, great movie. Not a feel good, happy ending kind of movie but still really great. Sunday I watched Just Go With It. Eh, it was OK. I was a little funny but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a funny movie.

It was a great weekend and I really enjoyed every minute of it and felt relaxed and not rushed. Sometimes when I have plans like every minute of the day, I get exhausted. I'm an introvert and "get my energy from being by myself" and I really haven't had a lot of alone time lately, but I've really enjoyed the company of new and old friends lately :) I'm excited to see what the rest of this summer holds!