My little-big brother

"My brother up and graduated. I honestly have a hard time believing it happened... but the thing that gets to me even more, is that he's NINETEEN! That is so crazy! Oh and he's taller than me... my little brother is finally taller than me... actually he's been taller than me for awhile now... I just haven't thought about how big my little bro is getting all that much. Anyway, he's graduated and heading off to SAU next year. Yep, we'll be at the same college. I almost feel like I'm following him there, buttt in actuality, I was technically there last year, so there! It should be a good time having my bro at the same college as myself... and not only Caleb, but also my cousins Scott and Grace as well as my other honorary bro, Jake Rich! SAU is about to be bumpin';)

Caleb is working here at camp with me this summer again too. Not just here at camp with me, but in the same department, good ole' kids camp counseling:) It's been super fun having Caleb and Grace counseling with me this summer. I think they would both agree that they are having pretty great summer's out here too. Trav and Zack and my Dad (of course) are also out here in the matience department. It's just one big family party out here I tell ya!

I keep getting distracted though, because really, I wanted this blog to be about Caleb this time. Cabe is one cool "kid" and I am lucky enough to have him at my brother! Sometimes I forget he's my "little" brother because of how stinkin' old looking and mature he can be...sometimes;) But really, Caleb and I have had some pretty awesome bro and sis convos throughout our lives, and I am SO blessed to have found a friend in my brother. I respect him so much and want the best for him! The older sister in me comes out probably too often when it comes to both of my bros, I'm sure they can vouge for that. I know there have been times when I've been too motherly or even bossy. GASP!... not me!... it's the truth. More recently though, I've found myself playing the bigger sister role more. Looking out for my brothers and making sure no girls hurt them;) Seriously though, that's what a sister is for right?!" ...

.... I wrote the beginning part of this blog way back in some warm summer month this past summer. Today I realized I never did finish the thing, and decided maybe I would. The thought came up when I overheard a convo going on between Caleb and my Dad downstairs. Caleb just sounded so mature and... wise. I re-realized just how proud of Caleb I truly am. I am beyond glad he chose to go to Spring Arbor. I think this past semester went so well for him. Between Chapel on Monday's and Wednesday's to his great COR group to his great new friends, I would say SAU has been an amazing fit for him. Not only that, but I have just noticed how wise he seems to be getting these days. Although he doesn't know everything, and I'm sure could admit to being wrong every now and then, recent conversations with him have just really surprised me.

His walk with God is something that challenges me each day. I think his RA, Alex Rahill has played a big part in how much Caleb has matured in his relationship with God. Hearing Caleb's excitement about floor Bible Studies got me excited for him and for myself! Having a little brother who acts like a big brother sometimes, is truly a blessing! Looking forward to a great Christmas Break with my wonderful family and taking time to thank God for all He has given me, including the birth of his Son so many years ago! 

Becase I can

 It's that time of yearrrr.... where students dispise their classes and don't want to be there. Today I wrote a wonderful list of all the places I'd rather be than in class... (while sitting in class) 
My brain is shot, so this is all I got. Smart bloggin' right here!
Happy end of the semester world!

my bed
my desk
my room
my house
my house house
the camp
Ev's house
Ev's apartment
Detroit airport
out to eat
shopping
skating ice or roller
on a hike
on a bike
on a plane
on a train
on a rollercaoster
at Cedar Point
in a different state
in a different country
in a car
in heaven
with Evan
with Watson
with my fam
with a pal
in the forest
on a mountain
on a plain
in a boat
on a cloud
in a cloud
in a tree
at a movie ... being groovy
at a museum
at a zoo
on a horse
on an elephant
in a pool
in a hot tub
in the shower
in a bath
in space
on the moon
on a beach
in a lighthouse
on a ship
on a glacier
in a field
on a trip

wow.... I'm cool.
Shout out to Evan Heisey! 

Traditional or Online? THAT is the question!

Traditional education verses online education. Both forms can warrant a degree, but the variance of this education is up for debate.

I have studied traditionally at two different colleges, Greenville College and Spring Arbor University. I physically attended each of the classes I took at both schools. I had the privilege to wake up each day, get ready for class, and walk across campus to my classroom. This process alone leads to both a healthy lifestyle and a positive learning experience. 

Professors at both colleges like to engage their students in both in-class learning as well as learning from their "home" computer. Online learning platforms such as "Angel," once used at Greenville College, or Blackboard, currently used at Spring Arbor University, are great for connecting students and technology. Professors can give students an excellent mix of the traditional form of education in the classroom, but also implement forms of online education using such programs.

Online degrees brag that students can "do homework in their pajamas!" This may be true, but I argue, can't I wear pajamas to my classes at Spring Arbor? No rule says I couldn't! Classroom learning engages us as students and encourages conversation and connectivity. If the professor chooses to continue this connectivity using Blackboard, then I could also communicate with my classmates at 3am!

The relationship with peers and professors is a huge benefit that I as a student would never wish to give up. Students who truly care about their education will continue learning outside of the classroom, just like an online student. Through traditional education, students are able to receive the best of both worlds and can even show off their new pj's to their classmates! Traditional > online.
 

A Day to be Remembered 9.1.12

Today was a simply beautiful day. God was in this day and His glory shown through so many different things, it's hard for me to even know where to begin.

A wedding and a birthday and a love.

A love so strong, no one can break it or buy it or replicate. The love I'm referring to is Agape love... the love poured out to us from God. This love will NEVER fail us, ever! And for that I am truly to be eternally grateful.

Benton and Kristen Oglesby. They are MARRIED now! The ceremony was so special. Vows that they each wrote for the other. Communion taken by the bride and groom. Worship music played and sung by those they love.

The worship song was beyond appropriate. "How He Loves Us..."

"He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us, oh,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us all...

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about the way...

He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us...
Oh, how He loves us...
Oh, how He loves us."

God is indeed jealous for us. So many different things of this world are fighting for our attention... sports, relationships, school, the list goes on... But here God is, waiting... just waiting for us to come to Him. He loves us so much that it honestly is SUPER hard for me to grasp. We are a tree and His love is a hurricane. That's how great and powerful HIS love for us is! When we finally realize just how great this love is, it is a beyond amazing feeling that is SO overwhelming! ... all we can say is how much He loves us... He loves us...He loves us.... thank GOD He loves us. Even though we have fallen so far from Him at times... even though I have fallen so far from Him at times, He still loves us and waits for us! THANK THE LORD FOR THAT! 

Something that stuck out to me that the pastor said was that Benton and Kristen each found someone who love God more than they love each other... and I can see and know just how much they love each other, and to think, they love God more than that! That's crazy... crazy AWESOME! I am honored to be related to such great examples and servants of the Lord. Their wedding was such a blessing to me, not only was I blessed to be there at all, but I was also blessed to be able to hear and see such a great message play out in this day!

The weather was perfect too... although I'm sure some would disagree:) 

The wedding was supposed to be an outdoor wedding, but due to uncertain weather, it was moved into the barn. During the wedding the open-barn-door-backdrop was perfect. Not too sunny, not too rainy. Not long after the ceremony ended the rain really picked up it's pace. Soon it was pouring... but before that, we were able to watch the storm roll in over the grassy Tennessee hills. Even the storm clouds seemed like some of the prettiest storm clouds I've seen! The wind picked up speed and we got some real nice rain and my phone even alerted me there was a tornado warning in the area! CRAZY TN! 

The torrential downpoor didn't last too too long though, and soon someone spotted a rainbow, as the sun began to poke it's way out again. I LOVE rainbows! ... and not just because they are breathtaking to look at, but also because of the fact of what it represents... God's promise to us... to His creation!

The storm passed and the sun came out, and the day ended with a beautiful sunset... the trees on the horizon making beautiful silhouettes that I could probably stare at ... or take pictures of, for hours if I ever got the chance... the chance and about the longest sunset EVER! :)

When the bride and groom finally joined us back at the barn after a picture or two;) ... they were able to share a first dance together. That dance was very special to be able to witness. I for one am NOT a dancer and never have been, annd have always sworn I would NEVER have dancing at my wedding... but this dance almosttt made me reconsider... key word, almost:) 

The speeches given by the best man, three brides maids, and Kristen's father were also beautiful. Everything about today reconfirmed to me that even though wedding's can be a HUGE hassle (it seems) and occasionally some drama can present itself, wedding's are still a beyond beautiful thing. In a time where more people seem to be getting divorced than married, weddings are great... but it's not just the weddings that are great, it's the marriage to follow that wedding. As Kristen's dad said (I believe) ... while Benton did pursue Kristen during their dating days... the wedding today is the first day of the rest of their lives together, and Benton plans to continuing pursuing Kristen each and every day. That is awesome guys!!! 

In the wedding ceremony another point that was to be conveyed, was that the marriage covenant is mirrored after the church. While I don't personally know much on this subject, I am now very interested in hearing more about this.... marriage to church.. church to marriage. These verses from Ephesians seem to be a good place to start: 

^{22 "}Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church

in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also nourishes and cherishes the church, ³⁰ because we are members of His body. ³¹ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church."

Ephesians 5:22-32

...I also thought Benton's best man said some really great things in his speech that are SO true: 

"...that sacrificial and unconditional love that God has for all of us... it can't, it will not last until death do us part unless you have that. ... it's not easy to have... it's always a struggle...but I look at this couple and I see a couple that is more than ready to take on that challenge...to take it until death do us part!" 

ISN'T THAT AWESOME?!? 

Congratulations to my very 1st, first cousin on his marriage to Kristen, the newest cousin to the family. May everything that was said on this day hold true and be a reminder to you both, for years to come, of what God has given you in each other. Love you both! 

OH annnd, HAPPY 24TH BIRTHDAY BENTON! <3 <3 

God moves at SBC!

This week at Somerset Beach Campground I am able to say that I truly saw God at work...yes, God has been at work other weeks here at camp, MANY other weeks... but this week I personally felt God's presence more than ever before. 

 
On the first night of camp I was totally defeated by the time I crawled into bed. Things had honestly just gone pretty horrible to say the least. Registration was said to be bizarre, with more upset parents than maybe ever before… room assignments had somehow gotten all mixed up and campers were ending up in all the wrong rooms without their requested roommates. Some campers didn’t want to stay at camp and were practically forced to stay in the room with their counselors. On the last night of camp I am actually forgetting what else went wrong on night one, but that just goes to show that the week got so much better as it went on.

On Wednesday morning we discussed in our girls staff meeting that the night before had maybe been one of the most “hellish” check-ins we’ve had for youth camps in the last 13 years or so. I think we were still just feeling all around defeated as a staff, but not to over spiritualize things, like one staff member said, but if you think about it, we thought that maybe the devil had been overly prevalent during check-in because he knew the week coming up was going to be a beyond awesome one for God and for all those involved with the two youth camps.

At the time this idea was mentioned, I honestly doubted… doubted God I guess. Who was I to doubt the God of the universe… and boy was I wrong. This week was full of God! Wednesday night when the gospel was presented to the Young Teens, the teens were very hesitant to come forward. I was feeling a little defeated and began thinking that maybe no one would respond to the message. Finally one boy went forward and then another and then a few girls from another cabin. It just takes one to get things going.

Skip over to Thursday night… I hear that the gospel was presented to the Explorer campers. I also hear that not one explorer camper stepped forward or stayed after in response to the gospel. As you would imagine, many people were once again feeling defeated… but not for long. Afterwards at the evening snack I hear from one of the explorer guy counselors that after the speaker presented the message and after the counselor and his guys were back in their cabin, the ENTIRE cabin of guys wanted to accept Jesus into their hearts! I believe there were ten boys in this cabin! What an awesome thing to hear!

Not long after I hear this, a camper from the teen camp runs up to me during his snack and excitedly tells me that he had given his life to the Lord that night after chapel time. His cabin had been in their small group time when this camper decided he was ready. The counselor had all the boys gather around this camper and lay hands on him while he accepted Jesus into his heart! What an awesome thing to have the support from his entire cabin! They were all SO excited for the camper and the excitement was contagious! 

Friday morning at chapel the speaker had this particular camper come forward and tell his story, and the entire teen camp cheered on this guy and his new found relationship with Christ! For me, this was such an awesome thing to see!... not something I normally see in camps honestly. The excitement from the camp as a whole just seemed to light a fire for God!

Friday night chapel was where I truly felt God the most. The message was great, but what happened post-message was the even cooler part to experience. The speaker had the chapel band play a song and said that if any campers were feeling lead to come forward during this, feel free to do so. The speaker prayed and then the band began playing and singing. Right away two boys went forward. I hurried down to lay hands on them and before I knew it, the ENTIRE teen camp had come forward. The song was beyond moving and the hands being laid were amazing. Tears were most definitely shed… a few even coming from me. When the song got to the part where it said, “I stand with arms high and heart abandoned,” everyone’s hands were raised up to God… God was in the Friday night chapel and God was in the Young Teen and Explorer Camps. Even with the things the devil had been trying to do to stop this fire, the devil could not stop the movement this time. It’s so awesome that we also know that this is exactly how the spiritual battle really will end. Even with the foothold the devil tries to have in this world, God will ultimately come out on top and defeat satan once and for all! I cannot be more thankful for everyone who was a part of this week of camps at Somerset Beach Campground. I am the most thankful to God for all He did this week! YAY GOD! 

What "gets me"

Recently I've just felt like a super passionate individual... sometimes my passion for things scares me. This sort of passion and love is so new to me that for the most part I really don't know what to do with it. One thing I do know that is that if this passion is of God, there is no way I plan to let anything or anyone get in my way or discourage me... so anyways, here is a (hopefully) simple list of the things in life that just really "get me" ... if that's even the phrase I'm looking for... which I believe it is. Honestly ya' all... I need sleep... but sleep can't come... just thought, after thought, after thought... so here goes a blog done by one very tired, emotional individual.

What "gets me"

1. kids. KIDS! They are so great! I can't even begin to fathom why anyone would treat a child in an inappropriate manner. I have such a heart for any and all kids, but probably even (a little) more of a heart for kids who don't receive the proper love and respect they deserve.

2. God. And yes of course, God is before kids... I could go ahead and move Him to the number one place... but I won't... because I'm tired. But honestly, He is my number one passion... and I know that God gave me my passion for kids to be used for Him. Before just recently, I can honestly say that God probably did not hold the highest position in my life. I was always looking for something to fill that void whether it be pictures, or social media, or certain relationships... None of those things mean anything if it is not ultimately going to glorify God.

3. Worship music. I was the person who used to judge the songs being sung in a service or make fun of "worship prayers," calling them "just a bunch of words that pastors throw together to try and make them sound holy enough." Until I truly started listening to the words and taking them in, yes, the songs and prayers were just a bunch of words... but really, worship and worship music and prayers are so much more than that. This summer, between the Wellspring groups from Spring Arbor, or the Jerry time music or the "Lissa time" music being lead by a 21 year old guy on a guitar and a 14 year old girl on the drums, I kinda just fell in love with worship music... if I'm even allowed to say that... but these songs made me fall even more in love with God, so I wouldn't say its all bad to say. Some examples of songs that we sang throughout the summer included, but were not limited to:

-roaring like a lion (god's not dead)

-he is jealous for me (oh how he loves us)
-the stand (i stand with arms high and heart abandoned)
-the earth is yours by gungor
-beautiful things, gungor
-lead me to the cross, hillsong
-oh happy day!
-lord i lift your name on high
-every move i make
-i wanna see jesus lifted high (a banner that flys across this land)
-open the eyes of my heart lord (i want to see youuu) 

-"Remind Me Who I Am" by Jason Gray

4. Summer camp... or even winter, spring, summer, and fall camp. Growing up at Somerset Beach Campground, people tend to wonder if this place has maybe lost it's specialness to me... and if we're being honest, at times it has... but this summer in particular... I couldn't feel more blessed to be working at SBC! Being surrounded by people who share a love for the same things you do, God being the biggest, is a super awesome feeling! ... also, providing a place for kids to just have an amazing week while constantly being shown God's love is more ideal that I can even believe sometimes!

5. Nature... sunsets over a lake or especially an ocean... anything that God has created... I don't always notice it's beauty right away... but I can promise you I will always be extremely impressed and awestruck with any sunset God puts in the sky for us. He didn't have to make the world so beautiful, but He did it for us, that it would ultimately bring more glory to His name! Oh and stars! Don't even get me started on stars... star gazing anyone?!:)

6. Christian communities. JACKSON FREE METHODIST CHURCH! ... I love that place. I truly feel I can be myself there now after 21 years and not be afraid of what others will think. While service seems to sometimes be all about me and what I may have taken away from a message, at the end of every service I love comparing notes with others who also heard the message or just hearing about peoples lives... and not just the "I'm good" answer... but getting real, honest stories and hardships that the people I love are going through. ... ps. I am SO pumped for SAU chapel sessions next year... the whole campus getting that into worshiping God TOGETHER sounds like it's really going to be amazing! Alsooo, looking forward to maybe (hopefully.. really would like to!) leading a small group for the Spring Arbor Free Methodist middle school youth group. Lots of kids from camp go to that youth group as well, so it will be awesome to re-connect with these teens I care about so much that I would usually only get to see one week of the summer.

7. Honesty. That person who can be SO honest with you, but they are this honest with you to ultimately make you a better person for God and His purposes in your life. While yes, I think there is appropriate times and places for this honestly, it is just a very refreshing thing in this society. Just be straight up with me and do not sugar coat whatever it is you may be trying to say... now if what you say to a person isn't done out of love, then the honestly is more hurtful than helpful. But a real honest person just "gets me."

8. Seeing others happy. Making someone's day. ... like if there is anything I can do for you, just tell me! Help others to help yourself even. I love to be able to make a kid happy... make them smile... especially if they didn't start our conversation smiling. That is the coolest.

9. Servants. Those who are so extremely servant hearted. They are obviously trying to be more like God, which in turn means I want to be more like them, who wants to be more like God... I look to these servants as an example of Jesus on Earth. While I may not have been able to witness Jesus on Earth, these servants of God, living out each and every day for God, are people I can look to as an example, other than the example of Jesus that I am able to read about in the Bible.

10. Other people who are in love with God. Those people truly captivate my attention and make me want to do better for myself. If they can be that madly in love with God... so can I.. and not only is it possible, it's also possible they could help me along. Thank goodness God gives us people here on Earth to challenge us, encourage us, and love us. .. And to think that the love some people possess for me is no where near the love God has for me... that is crazy! ... crazy hard to wrap my mind around. God sent his one and only son to die for me... and loves meee...and the whole world enough to do so!... Welp, I think I've probably preached enough for one day. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone in this post. I don't mean to do so at all. Sometimes I just really would like to share my thoughts with the world... or just whoever decided they want to listen(read)... and sometimes writing things down works a lot better than verbal communication would. This is me, and all I can really do is keep hoping and praying that the me that God wants me to be is in there somewhere and will continue to show itself over time.

Change.

So I'm laying in bed on this July morning and a slightly morbid, but true thought comes into my head. "The day I stop changing, is the day I die." Okay, so it's not like I'm laying here thinking about the day that I die or anything of the sort. Instead I'm just laying here thinking about change. That word has been a HUGE word to me throughout my life. Change used to be thee scariest word for me growing up... and even really up until pretty recently. I didn't see change as a good thing. I saw it as something to run from and to work to keep it from happening as much as possible. I'm not sure what changed since then, but somehow that word got altered in this stubborn mind of mine.

I'm gonna go ahead and say God had a pretty big part in this alteration. The word change. It is a very biblical word if you think about it. God wants us to be constantly changing, and for the better at that. The day we stop seeking this bettering change should be the day we meet God face to face in heaven. I'm about to get a little preachy here, so excuse me... when I think about an unchanging person, I think of the verses on being a lukewarm Christian. God doesn't have much good to say about that. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I will spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16. If those verses doesn't make us a little scared of lukewarmness, I don't know what would.

The point of this post is not to make you all scared into changing... I guess it is mostly just to say how awesome being open to change has been in my life. The minute God knew I was open to change, however small that openness might have been,  change began taking place. For example, transferring from Greenville to SAU. Never did I ever think that change would actually happen. Change can be good, and is good. Being open to change and striving to change to be even closer to the person God wants you to be is really truly super rewarding. I am no where near perfect or no where near being fully changed. I have accepted that I will probably be changing for the rest of my life, and I am finally okay with this and welcome the change. Every day may not bring about a huge change, and some days I'll probably feel like I made a change for the worse... but I know that with God on my side, the change in my life and heart will ultimately be for the better, as long as God is the one directing the change.

 "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Romans 12:2

Beauty is found in the eyes of THEE Beholder.

God made each of us exactly how He wanted us to be made... in His image... totally and completely perfect to Him! Why then, do so many people want to alter the way in which God has created them? I know that so many different articles have been written about subjects such as these. People are trying to change what they look like to better themselves. While some body alterations are needed and completely understandable, others I find so extremely shocking.

The other day I posted a picture to Facebook without even giving it a second thought. I didn't find the picture while reading an article or anything of the sort. It randomly popped up on my news feed and I copy and pasted it (probably illegally) to my Facebook page. Anyway... so here's this picture...

...and I find myself looking at it, but wasn't thinking anything more than "WOW!, check out the power of makeup." NO, that picture is not just showing us the power of make up. So much more was done to that woman's face than a little addition of makeup. She completely altered one side of her face, and I'm sure the other side eventually, for some reason or another... To make herself appear prettier to others most likely. Why, why, why does it matter whether or not we are born with an extra fold in our eye lid or not? Who is to say this is prettier? What would God say?

I would think our God would say, I made you JUST how I wanted you to look! YOU are beautiful, daughter(or son) of mine. Rest in that assurance. Don't look to others for approval... for approval alone only needs to come from the Lord! I could go on and on about this subject, but seeing as how I am way past my point of exhaustion, I think I will close with posting this not so sort article I just read, thanks to Daniel Eads, about some of what I am talking about above. I think once you read the article, its words alone will probably sink in possibly more than mine. Please take a minute to read this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/world/asia/in-south-korea-plastic-surgery-comes-out-of-the-closet.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

 <3

ps. i am now realizing that maybe it appears i am judging any and all who took part in these sort of eye lid/plastic surgery sort of procedures. i am not. no judging here. what i am trying to say is that you, all of you, are beautiful exactly how you already are. changes already having been made or not, God is totally and completely in love with us. that is an awesome thing to remember! outward appearances are not going to alter God's undying. unconditional love for us. rest assured in that and remember where true beauty comes from, myself included in this remembering. #workInprogress 

Thee End of an Era.

I have had this title planned since forever, or at least since my dad mentioned it at the end of our annual spring break trip to Florida this year. I almost teared up when it dawned on me, the Hofers + Smiths + FL trio is over. This part of our life is done. And we'll never get it back... that's just kinda how life works ya know.

While I am beyond sad this period of our lives is over, I am also BEYOND grateful these trips ever happened! After my Mammy and Papa Fry moved home to Michigan for good, my family was "homeless" for our yearly SB trip to Florida. What were we going to do?! Ends up, we hooked up with the next best thing to family, more "family." Aunt Joan, Uncle Bill and my 8th cousins Jordan, Spencer, and Emma became our new Florida buddies. Not only did we get to see them every Sunday at church but also on this super special trip that happened once a year! As a kid, it was just about the the coolest thing ever!

We, or at least my family, ended up being pretty stuck in a rut. I think we went a total of four different places over the MANY years we Spring Breaked together... Nope, make that 5. One random place where about the only memory I have of it was sitting in the hot tub and then quickly running and jumping in the FREEZING pool and then quickly getting out and sprinting back to the pool. Those were the days;)

Sun Viking Inn was also pretty cool... although my family's room smelled like a very "nice" shrimp dinner. mmm. The water slide was dabomb.com and playing Bingo with the old folks, as well as the lovely ocean view, were great too:)

After a year at both of those hotels we found Tropical Palms. A getaway like no other... right in the heart of Florida, aka, Orlando. This campground was a swell place with tons of Cabana type cottages as well as camping space. My family hauled our fun little pop-up camper down there for a couple of years before we decided to Cabana it up like the Hofers had ever so smartly been doing. The basketball courts were quite the highlight here as well as the amazing strawberry smoothies and the "tanning." Most of us were at the age where coming back tan from Florida and showing off your tan to all your school friends was all the rage, but none of us actually wanted to put the time into the laying out this required. So INSTEAD, we would lay out on our last day and spray tanning oil on ourselves every three minutes. We were the coolest. After one too many years at Tropical Palms and one too many trips to "Old Town"... we decided to finally move on.

We went back to hoteling it up, this time in the Tampa Bay area. This was a nice little place with the biggest "beach" area ever... more like a little square of sand that didn't even go down to the ocean... haha. It really wasn't bad though AND, I saw a dolphin! Can't get much better than that! We only stayed here half the time since we just had to get back to Tropical Palms once last time! haha... good old T.P!

My senior year of high school we headed to Sarasota to another campground type place, similar to T.P. Sun n' Fun. The pool and pool area were much bigger... so this made us quite happy. Although the "basketball court" did lack quite a bit, so the boys still had a complaint or two. I quite enjoyed watching early morning pool aerobics for everyone over 70 years old that wintered there:)

My freshman year of college I got lucky and was able to fly into Florida during my Easter break to spend yet another year with the Hofer+Smith combo. Actually I only flew back from Florida to IL, but I've already been WAY too detailed in this post, sooo, moving on...

 
Last year I sadly could not attended the Florida gathering. It was quite the tragic thing to say the least. Both Jordan and I had waved goodbye to this era. This year I lucked out once more and worked things out to fly down to the wonderful sunshiny state. Both Spencer and Jordan couldn't make it, but we had an Ashley Connors with us, so that was fun:) Emma was able to spend her last SB with the Smiths, and well... this concludes thee era of Hofers & Smiths + Florida. I truly enjoyed each and every year in the sun and fun with a truly amazing family. God has blessed me with such great "aunts" and "uncles" and "cousins"... Not only am I blessed with the ones linked by blood, I am also blessed with the ones linked by God. <3

P.S. My mom actually was present on all these trips, despite her lacking in group photos. She just always had to be the "taker" it seems. Below is an actual FULL group photo. Hi mom:)

Thee end. 

Daddy- Daughter Date

You're never too old for a daddy-daughter date... 21 tomorrow and I still believe this to be 100% true!

I know everyone says this, but guys, I really do have the bestest dad ever!:)

Going through a box of old notes last night, I came across a bunch from my "daddy." He really has always been there for me, in the good and bad times... and even if we might not have time to talk as much as we want sometimes, I'll get a little note here and there to remind me that he still cares very much and thinks about all his kiddos quite often! Something my dad and I have done a few times throughout my life is go on daddy-daughter dates. We were LONG overdue for such things, so we finally just cleared our schedules and made it happen!

We had such a good night together, even if my poor pops was getting a little sick:( We headed into Jackson and went to a restaurant that my mom doesn't much care for, but I happen to like quite a bit... so Outback it was. Over the (beautiful) car ride into town and the longgg seating wait, we just chatted it up... or more like my dad listened to me talk and talk:) But no, the convo really was two way.

My dad even gave me a gift... what a thoughtful guy... and what a thoughtful gift actually! The cross necklace and cross earrings are beautiful and mean so much to me... not to mention, he hardly ever buys jewelry, so I was feeling pretty special. The jewelry has great meaning behind it, and I will remember that every time I put them on. Another cool little thing, was the one necklace my dad bought my mom back in the day was a gold heart, so it was kinda perfect that the heart on the cross necklace was gold. Just perfect.

<3 shaped chicken. How perf;)

Dinner was yummy times ten, not to mention the blooming onion appetizer of course! Overall the night was just a great time with my dad. I know I say this a lot, but I am just SO blessed. Not only do I have a great heavenly father, but God also blessed me with an amazing earthly father!

Love you daddy! <3 

TWINKIES FOLYFE!

So, hey... last weekend Evan did end up coming this way, but also, the lovely Laura Anne Johnson and myself celebrated our birthdays at the grandparents house, like we do each year. In case you didn't know, Laural and I have shared our birthdays for the past (almost) 13 years of our lives.

Laura was my eighth birthday present! ... and what a present she was! I had been wishing and hoping and praying my Aunt Karen would have her on my birthday, and whadda know, sometimes "wishes" do come true:) March 13th was no longer just my birthday, but also this little baby girls birthday. She was and is my birthday twinkie for lyfe!

And yes I "cropped" the pic like this when I was a small child...

This year, in a few days, we will each be turning one of those "key" numbers. Laura is about to be a TEEN! I can hardly believe it... I really do feel old!.... and I'll be more of an adult that when I turned 18 back in the day. Ya know...21.  Zack's probably the most excited one in my family for this birthday of mine because (GASP!) he'll be able to drive the car with me in the passenger seat. We'll see about that bubby brown;)

Anyways, back to my awesome cousin... I just wanted to reiterate how blessed I am to have her as my cousin, and not only that, but my birthday-sharing-cousin! If we (ever) grow old and part ways, I know there will at least be one person out there who remembers my birthday. What a relief:) And same goes for her. I love you Laural, and don't you ever forget it!

One of THOSE dayz

Yep... one of those days for sure... but don't give up reading just yet, it gets better.

So I didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed, but sometime between waking up and getting to work, my mood drastically changed for no good reason. As I started work at noon, I was straight up mad at the world. Nothing could get me out of this mood, and I was convinced of this. I wasn't too friendly to anyone and avoided talking to anyone if possible, which is quite possible being a processor.... So the afternoon drags on and nothing changes...

All of a sudden I get a bloody nose. I know this is a completely disgusting thing to mention in a blog, but I'm over it people! It happened and now you read about it:) So, this situation of mine... turns out I find myself hiding out in the bathroom with toilet paper up my nose cracking up at myself. Nothing could have been funnier. In fact I was so entertained that on the "worst day ever" this of all things would happen, that I decided I should probably send a picture to my boyfriend to document this moment.

So, a bad day turned into a worse day which turned into a "laugh at myself" day which then turned into a "normal Emily" day. I didn't tell anyone in the office about my catastrophe, but I put a smile on my face when I walked out of the bathroom (which I had been in for quite some time). That smile stayed on my face until I left work at 7. Moral of the story, sometimes it takes something so "bad" to turn your terrible, awful, no good, very bad day into a much better day. Laughing at yourself is healthy, and I try to make it a part of every "normal Emily" day I am blessed to have on this earth:)

Heart shaped pizza

This is part of a journal assignment I was assigned to do in my COR 300 class at SAU, and I thought I'd share it with you all. What beliefs do you hold most dearly, and of these, which are you willing to die for? Maybe take time to make your own list and think about what really matters in your life or what should really matter.

Top 10 beliefs I hold most dearly:

1. My belief in God. That he sent his son to this earth to die for every person’s sins, including my own. 

2. My belief in love. God loves me and I love Him, more than anyone else in this world. I also love others. I am commanded to do so. And on top of that, I know others who love me. 

3. My belief in relationships. God gave me people in my life to intermingle with and develop relationships with. More than anything, my relationship with God is the most important. 

4. My belief in family. More than just an average human relationship is the blood bond of another. My parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents… These people that God has blessed me with, who I believe I will be blessed enough to always keep strong relationships with. 

5. My belief in marriage. I have yet to marry, but I know marriage can and does last. I have many awesome examples of such relationships in my life. God has someone out there for me, whether I have found him yet or not. 

6. My belief in forgiveness. Christ has forgiven me, therefore I should forgive others, no matter what it is they may have done to “wrong” me.

7. My belief in heaven. Jesus has joined his father in heaven to prepare a place for me… a place for anyone who has accepted Jesus as their personal savior. This is where I will spend eternity with God and with those I love and that love God.

8. My belief in creation. God created all there ever has been on this earth. Whether He created the human being who then went on to create Microsoft, or whether He directly placed trees on this earth, all was created by God. Nothing is here by chance or even CLOSE to chance! No explosion or bang created who I am and what this beautiful world around me looks like.

9. My belief in myself. I think can, I thank I can… No, I know I can! I believe in myself. God is in me, and through him I can do all things through His strength in me. If it is God’s will for me, I believe and know I will be able to accomplish the tasks He puts before me. 

10. My belief in sustenance. What I am mainly referring to through this belief, is that I believe I am alive today one, because it is God’s will that I am, but two, that I have been provided with enough food and water to live off of. This “sustenance” has kept me alive this long, and will continue to do just that as long as I am provided for. 

Well there's my list of ten beliefs that I hold most dearly. Seen above, the bestest sustenance around, Marios Pizza in Greenville, IL. I am now craving it times a million and three. If anyone would like to ship me some, I wouldn't complain... I don't think, that is. Although here I am thinking about number 10 on my list. Maybe I need to get my priorities straight here:)

Also, seen even abover, is my grandparents, Art and Judy Osborne's hands with their wedding rings on them, placed upon the Bible. They have been married for over 50 years as have my dad's parents, Ish and Joanna Smith. SO blessed for examples such as these! Speaking of heart shaped pizzas, I hope everyone had a great Valentines Day! Whether your day was spent thinking more specifically about a significant other or maybe even thinking about how much God loves you and therefore we should love Him and others. I was blessed to be able to celebrate the day thinking of both God and others, and even more specially a certain other. Evan showed up on Monday and surprised me after class with roses and dinner! What a guy:) Anyways, hope this list could maybe get you all thinking. <3