Halloween Weekend

This past week and weekend has been pretty fun. At work we had a Halloween Contest involving set building and costumes. Our department decided to do Pirates! It was so much fun. Here's a few photos of our set and some people in our department and their costumes. I'm not sure who won yet, but should know tomorrow!

The front of our Ship.

The Ship and sails.

Sails, Ship, Cannons, Ocean, Pirates

Water, Waves, Ocean.

Skeleton Crew

Dock.

Most of our department. Pirates, Arg!

My pirate accounting team.

I spent the day Friday running around pirating and then Friday night, I went to dinner with Jonathan and his family for his Birthday, which is Monday - Halloween Day. We went to Longhorn Steakhouse and it was delicious. Friday night, I went over to Rob and Ashley's house for a party and then Saturday night I went with Jonathan and a bunch of my friends to The Freakers Ball. It was a lot of fun and there were some C-r-azy costumes there! We got home L A T E. It has really been a fun weekend. Tomorrow night, I am going to take Jonathan out to dinner for his birthday to Ye Old Steakhouse - a Knoxville tradition. I haven't been there before but it is apparently the best steak in town!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I feel like there's been so much going on but when I try to think of what it is that's been going on, I kind of draw a blank! I've enjoyed a few slow weeks - at work and socially. I haven't done much during the week and have been able to relax on the weekends here lately for the most part and that has been so nice!

This past weekend, my mom was in town. We went to Cumberland Caverns to Bluegrass Underground! It was so cool! I want to take Jonathan back down there because I know he would love it. It was kind of a long drive - a little over two hours - but well worth it. I did forget about the time changing so we were a little thrown off for an hour by Central Time. We saw Westbound Rangers and Mountain Heart. The Westbound Rangers were good and entertaining!  They were fun - told jokes and cut up the whole time! Mountain Heart was amazing! It is a group of very talented musicians! They were so much fun to just listen to. The banjo player had only his thumb on his left hand. He was an incredible player. He's the guy that organized the group. It was so awesome to hear him play and such a great reminder that we, as people, can do anything we set our minds to. He was amazing to watch and hear play. I didn't take my camera but will next time I go.

Definitely check out their website for some cool photos!

October 11, 2011

Excerpts from Jesus Calling...


I am the culmination of all of your hopes and desires. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last: who is and was and is to come. Before you knew me, you expressed your longing for me in hurtful ways. You were ever so vulnerable to the evil around you in the world. But now my presence  safely shields you, enfolding you in my loving arms. I have lifted you out of darkness into my marvelous light.

Though I have brought many pleasures into your life, not one of them is essential. Receive my blessings with open hands. Enjoy my good gifts, but do not cling to them. Turn your attention to the Giver of All Good Things and rest in the knowledge that you are complete in me. The one thing you absolutely need is the one thing you can never lose: my presence with you.

Pslam 62:5-8; Revelation 1:8; 1 Peter 2:9; James 1:17

Full Weekend

Until Friday, I thought I had no weekend plans. I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend at home, by myself!

Well, that didn't exactly happen but it was a really fantastic weekend and I loved every minute of it! Friday night Nick and one of his friends came into town to stay with me for the weekend. They were going to the UT Football game. Friday night, Jonathan and I went and me them out for a little bit. Saturday morning, I did brunch with Nick, Zack, Latisha, and Carly. Then I met Joetta and Melissa at the Mall. When I was at the mall I ran into a girl from my Bible Study. Then I met up with Jonathan and we went to Morristown for the wedding of a good friend of mine from Grad School, Lesli. While at the wedding I saw Morristown friends, CN Friends, and friends from Johnson City. It was a beautiful setting and Lesli was gorgeous. Her dress may be the most gorgeous wedding dress I've ever seen. It was really beautiful. I came back exhausted and went to bed! I don't think I've ever spent one day visiting so many different people from different parts of my life! It was fabulous! My good friend Ashley was in town with her family this weekend and I am sad to say that I missed seeing them. Things just got crazy busy too fast! Hopefully next time I can visit with them.

The wedding in Morristown was at a place called Windswept - a community that kind of fell through when it was developed but it is absolutely gorgeous there. You can see for miles and miles. Here are a few pictures from the wedding!

The view from Windswept Clubhouse, gorgeous!

My date :)

Close-up...I love this photo!

Gorgeous Sunset

The Bride

The Moon - this photo is just for Nellie!

Nashville Weekend

I went Saturday morning with Jonathan, Melissa and her husband David to Nashville for the night. It was a surprise for Melissa's birthday! My friend Nick graciously offered his house to us to stay for the weekend. It was great. He lives right off the West End so we were able to walk everywhere! We walked to dinner, a bit of a walk, but it was gorgeous outside and a great walk! We went and got ice cream at Sweet Cici's after dinner at Jackson's.

Then we went to The Big Bang:

It's a dueling piano bar that is outrageously fun. The music is great! These guys can play ANYTHING. And when I say anything, I mean, anything. They played everything from pop music, rap music, the little mermaid, classic rock like Journey. Man, what a fun, fun night. I did not take the picture above, but it is just a great portrayal of what it's like there. Although I'm pretty sure there were about 1000 more people there than are in this picture! And about 400 bachelorette parties! The people watching is maybe the best things about this place! 

Sunday morning we got up and walked to Brick Tops for brunch. It was fantastic! 

And what's a road trip without a stop for pictures with Road Side Attractions:

Random Road Trip stop with my Road Trip Buddy. It was like college all over again!

Thankful for His Faithfulness

Tonight, I had dinner with my friend Melissa and we were talking about God's faithfulness and how we don't always recognize it as God's faithfulness. Like with my wonderful friends. I have such good friends and I don't often think of it as God's faithfulness but he was protecting me from so many other things and it is because of him that I have such wonderful friends. This has been a busy week for me already but I have spent two nights of this week with amazing women with whom I can share my life and feel encouraged by and talk to Jesus about.

Whitney and I have been friends since our junior or senior year of college. We probably really got to be good friends our senior year. Since I've lived in Knoxville, I have gotten to be friends with her friends. I was in her wedding and we see each other fairly frequently. We've been each other accountability partners this year. It has been good to encourage each other and share in similar struggles with each other about our lives. She is a good friend and God has blessed me with her in my life. I had dinner with her Monday night and we sat and talked for two hours. It was so good. We can talk about everything too! And we did :)

Melissa and I have been friends since freshman orientation, the summer before we started college. I met her because her roommate was friends from high school with my suitemate - or something like that. We have been friends ever since. We see each other pretty frequently too and we always have such a good time. And we never run out of things to talk about. We sat in a restaurant for 2 hours tonight and just talked.  I think we could have sat there for two more hours, if it hadn't been a school night! I have loved getting to know her heart more and more, the older we get and the different things that we go through in our lives.

I know that I will always be friends with these ladies. These are the kind of women that I want to surround myself with. The kind of women who encourage me, love me, and challenge me to be better. And give me the opportunity to pour my life into someone else.

I love these ladies and can't imagine my life without them. I am so thankful for God's faithfulness in providing me with good friends. These two are the beginning of a HUGE long list of praying, loving, amazing women that are apart of my life. And I am so thankful to Him for reminding me of His Faithfulness through my relationships with these ladies.

Deliriously Tired

After a crazy week last week and a great weekend, I am deliriously tired!

Here's a few pictures of my weekend - more details to come. All photos from the Harvest Moon Party!

Katie Preuss and me at the Harvest Moon Party!

Nellie (Hostess), Lydia, me

Lovely Lydia

Jonathan and me

Nellie and me! Loved seeing her! What a wonderful friend she is!