Ansley Louise

Another week, another birthday. This time, it's all about Ansley. She turns 4 today. In some ways, she is so similar to her older sister. But in other ways, she is her total opposite.

Ansley Louise,
You are incredible! You are gentle and loving but you are fierce! You are so compassionate and kind.
I encourage you to always choose kindness. Do not get hardened even when things get hard. And they will. You have such a sweet spirit and love those around you well. I pray that you will know God is Love. I pray that you will grow in Christ and have a relationship with Him. I love you so much! Happy 4th birthday!

Sunday Smiles

{Source}

But as for me, I will always have hope.

- Psalm 71:14

InstaFriday

Last weekend I went out with some girls from church. We met at Wiseacre brewery for a drink and then went to a little diner on Broad for dinner. It was fun to just have a night to sit and laugh and talk and chill with no agenda. Also, I saw this sunset. And I love sunsets, but especially this one!

I already told you guys that I got mood nails that change colors. But apparently if you have bad circulation like I do and your hands are always cold, you get an ombre effect!

I got back in the gym this week and actually got to lift. I needed it! Such a good stress reliever! And I had multiple people say that they hadn't seen me in a while and asked where I had been. Yep, I get it. I've been a slacker. Maybe this is a turning point to get back at it. I even went before work on Thursday to get a workout in.

Sometimes, I'm not a good sleeper. Clearly. But this time it was worth it. When you haven't seen one of your friends in over a week and they are going out of town, it's worth it to stay up late and miss some sleep. And at least if I'm going to be tired, it can be on a good number!

The day after not sleeping, I thought that it would be a good idea to try to climb 50 flights of stairs. I am usually between 20 and 30 on a typically work day so it wasn't totally unrealistic. I told the student that was with me and she didn't seem super excited, but she pushed through. When I left work, I was at 41 flights and I was so close to 20K steps that I decided to go for a run and just knock it all out! Great day!

This is my life and my mind. All the time. Period. The end.

Ten Things

No big story here. Just thought that I would update you on some of the randomness that is going on in my life.

1. I got upgraded! I had therapy last week and I got promoted. I now only have to go once a month.  When she suggested it, my first response was, "are you sure I've made that much progress?" But she assured me that I would be fine. I can always add more sessions if I need them, but for now I'm at once a month!

2. My brother has officially accepted a job in Seattle. He's moving in January! The company he works for is starting a new office in Seattle and he is one of the people chosen to move out there and start that office. I'm excited for him, but I'm going to miss him. And now I'm starting to think about moving...

3. Work is still crazy! I have 2 students this semester. They are both really sweet and I know that they will learn a lot, but right now it's slowing me down and I leave work every day exhausted because of talking all the time. The introvert in me needs a break!

4. Speaking of work, they are still discussing and figuring out all the schedule stuff and it looks like we aren't going to 7 on, 7 off in September. They are talking about possibly in October/November but we'll see. I'm worried that they will just keep putting it off and our schedule will never change. Sometimes I'm okay, and other times it is super frustrating and I wonder if I need to make some changes.

5. The other day, I was picking up dinner after work. I parked the car, got out, and looked for my key so I could lock the door. It was still in the ignition. With the car running. Oops!

6. Church has been good for me. Friendships are actually going really well and I feel like I'm finally getting closer to people. Sheesh! It takes me forever to open up! But I recently had an epiphany in the friendship department. It was huge! Things are changing...

7. I volunteered to host my small group in October- which means I'll also be sharing my testimony. Eek! I'm sure I'll bring it up again closer to time when I'm freaking out, but for now I'm trying to stay calm. And I conveniently planned to host it on the same day that I go to therapy. I'll need it!

8. I signed up for the St Jude half, forever ago. And then promptly began to do nothing. But it's time to actually start running again and pretending like I'm in shape enough to run 13 miles. I have a long way to go. I'm still at the point where every run is hard. I'm ready to feel like I'm in the groove again, but I know that it will take time. I'm not very patient.

9. I got mood colors on my nails, which means that they change with the temperature my mood. They are super fun and I have been spending way too much time looking at my hands/ playing in the water after I wash my hands. Water play makes me feel like a little kid again. Which makes me want a coloring book. I should go to amazon and check out an adult coloring book. I'm a little ADD sometimes...

10. It's official. Mutually decided upon and official. I feel like I've said that a lot, but I think it will really stick this time. And I'm excited about that!

Marlee Grace

My niece, Marlee, is 6 years old today! How did that happen?! Time really does fly. I remember the day she was born (the second day of class) like it was yesterday. I was still living in Nashville then and got to see her almost everyday for the first year of her life. And now she is in Kindergarten!

Marlee Grace,
You are amazing! You are confident and spunky and have such a joy for life! You are athletic and excel at almost everything you do. But I encourage you not to get frustrated or give up when things get hard. And they will. You have your dad's energy and enthusiasm for everything that you pursue. I pray that you will have that same enthusiasm for the Lord. I pray that you will fall in love with Jesus and have a relationship with Him that is all your own. I love you so much! Happy 6th birthday!

Sunday Smiles

{Source}

Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you.

- 1 Samuel 12:24

InstaFriday

I will try not to repost all the beach pictures that I already posted, but there are a couple...

This was our view from the condo. It was fabulous!

Just lounging on the beach. There was a lot of this happening. It was awesome!

I just love these girls! So thankful that God has put them in my life!

The whole group before dinner. We were an entertaining group!

Sunrise is gorgeous! Seriously. I'm in awe!

Jellyfish are pretty cool up close too. They are very intricate!

A new moving bar just came to midtown. You pedal. You drink. What more could you want? Who wants to do this with me?

8/11 was a big day. Like huge! Like I almost got a tattoo to mark the occasion. And I might have gone through with it if work hadn't been so crazy. But no such luck. Yet. Maybe another time. Until then, I was just a little bit obsessive. No surprise!

I spent all day Saturday at the Levitt Shell listening to music, hanging out with friends, eating fair food, and drinking beer. It was a wonderful day!

I'm a 5

I briefly mentioned that we talked about personality types at the beach. I love that sort of thing and this one was no different! It's called the Enneagram and it is a system of 9 different personality types. You can read about it here and try to figure out what your personality type is.

I am a 5. To a tee. Like the description could have been written about me. Every. Single. Line. 

But another thing that I like about this specific personality type, is that it is Christian-based. For each type, they discuss a type that one integrates to when they are at their best and walking with the Lord and a type that they disintegrate to when they are struggling. I, as a 5, integrate to an 8 and disintegrate to a 7. When I read about the positives and negatives of each of those, they both ring true for me. 

I love all of this stuff, but even if you aren't as into them as I am, I still think that this is a good way to think about yourself. It makes you more aware of how you view things and how you interact with others.

What do you think? What's your number?

Rest. Reflect. Restore.

So yeah, I didn't post all last week. Sorry about that. I got back from the beach and jumped right back into the work week- which was crazy busy and then I crashed every night when I got home from work and didn't ever get around to writing.

But I'm back now! The beach was amazing- as it always is!

Thursday after work, two girls met me at the house and we made the drive down. It was fairly uneventful, but we didn't get there until close to 2am so we crashed as soon as we got there.

Friday was a lazy day. We cooked breakfast and then headed down to the beach. We basically alternated between the beach and the pool all day- with a small break for lunch. It was great! Once the kids went to bed, we all cooked spaghetti for dinner. The guys had "man time" out on the balcony, while the girls sat around inside and hung out. We ended up talking about different personality types, which always intrigues me! But more on that later...

When we woke up on Saturday, we ate breakfast together and had some time of reflection. We talked about the imagery of the ocean in the Bible and how God can be compared to the ocean with His vast, infinite power. Then it was back to the beach/pool all day. People went up at different times, but I skipped lunch and stayed out in the sun! That night we all put on real clothes and went out to get seafood. It was delicious! Saturday was the birthday of one of the guys, so after dinner, we went back to the condo and had cake and ice cream. Then the people that weren't exhausted stayed up to watch a movie before bed.

On Sunday, most of the group decided to get up early and go for a sunrise walk on the beach. I love sunrises. They are good for the soul! When we headed back  to the condo, I took a nap on the balcony sleeping to the sound of the crashing waves, until it was time for breakfast. This morning, we all had a time of prayer. Corporate prayer is so important and always so beneficial, but something that I don't think is done enough so this was such a sweet time! But afterwards, it was time to pack up and get back on the road. Time to get back to work and back to reality.

It was a great trip! It was a good time of growing with friends and learning together, but it was also a great time of reflection for me. Through the devotion that I'm reading, the words of others, and just the time away, God really spoke to me exactly how I needed it- to the exact situation that I'm going through. It was the exact weekend that I needed!

Sunday Smiles

{Source}

You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn North.

- Deuteronomy 2:3

Sunday Smiles

Fear not, for I am with you. I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

- Isaiah 41:10

InstaFriday

When I left off last week, I was on a high from birthday celebrations. And then it all came crashing down...

After therapy on Thursday, I got a hotel and camped out for the weekend. And I got to chuckle at the cups and coffee sleeves. Very clever, guys!

I only ventured out of the hotel once. I wanted ice cream so I went across the street to Target. I may have also tried on a few things... But I walked into the dressing room and saw this little note. Made me smile!

I came back to reality on Saturday and tried to get a few things done around the house. Then my friend, Jennifer, invited me to Levitt Shell. It started off hot, but felt nice once the sun went down and the music was great. Afterwards, we headed to Brookhaven to sit on the patio with another drink and more music!

I had to go back to work on Monday. If that doesn't kick you back into reality, nothing will! But our office coordinator did bring delicious German chocolate cupcakes to celebrate. Yum! Seriously, they were amazing!

I went shopping for the beach. Only a long weekend. I might have gone overboard...

Retreat

Today after work, I am headed south! I am driving down to Gulf Shores for a long weekend. It is for a retreat with some of the Young Adults at church. Yes, I know that I was just off work last week and it was fabulous, but I am also excited about a time of community and fellowship and worship. (How many other Christian buzzwords can I throw into one sentence?)

But this is a spiritual renewal retreat and I'm super excited about it! Our fearless leader sent out an email with different scripture showing the imagery of the ocean so I'm excited to dive in! Also, the beach!!

I'll be back on Sunday. Catch you on the flip side, mother...

Superpowers, Take 2

I may have lied to you. I didn't mean to though...

I asked you about your superpower of choice. I told you I would be back in a week. I wasn't. But I'm back now.

The question: Flight vs Invisibility

It seems like a straight-forward, fun topic to debate at dinner parties. While it may be an interesting topic for debate, it's not quite so straight-forward. The answer is pretty complicated. Apparently it is the epitome of your character. It might just be who are you.

Extroversion vs. Introversion
Selflessness vs Selfishness

Don't believe me? (Just Watch!) Have you chosen your answer? Okay, now listen to this podcast on superpowers. Does it change your view on things? Did you change your answer? Let me know!

Sunday Smiles

{Source}

Go and sin no more.

- John 8:11