These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Favorite Places To Visit...

• British Columbia (Malibu Club) Worked at a YL camp there one summer. It was the prettiest place I have ever been.
• Guatemala (Agua Viva) I love the spanish culture and the simplicity of life there.
• Utah/Colorado (Anywhere on the slopes) Skiing with friends and family is something that never grows old.
• Pickwick, TN (My parents' lakehouse) Fun memories and just plain relaxing!

Where are you favorite places?

Meet my fam...

From left to right Matthew, Mom, Stephen and Dad. This is the most recent picture I have of all of them. Don't they look nice? This is how they dress all the time!

I have the greatest parents in the whole world, they have always been super supportive, encouraging, loving and giving.

We give my mom a hard time about her shopping addiction (she really does have one!), but gift giving is one of her love languages, and for those of you who know me well (especially my roommates from college) you know through that expression alone, my mom does an awesome job of showing me her love. You also know that I do not really share my mom's love for shopping, in fact I can think of a million things I would rather do than shop. That said, I do share her love for gift giving! I love to give gifts of meaning, that are well thought out!

We rarely harass my dad, but from time to time, when he makes a random statement, we poke fun using a line from one of his finer moments (which he often fails to remember happening) "I've got binoculars." My dad always gives, and constantly lets us know how proud he is of us. I am the only girl in our family, so I'm a complete daddy's girl. My daddy is the person I get my super goofy sense of humor from. He is also the tender hearted, yet strong leader in our family. Almost every time I go home I like to curl up next to my dad on the couch...beside him I feel safe! I think the neatest thing about my dad is, I believe he is best example I could imagine of our Heavenly Father.

My bros! Stephen and Matthew are two of my favorite men in my life. They always tell me I am their favorite sister...aren't I special!?!

Stephen has been a huge encouragement and support to me. We have always been close, but after having lived together for 3 years after college, we became even better friends. Stephen has a desire to do God's will in his life. When he moved to augusta, he made it his mission to befriend other people who were new to the area. He loves God's people and acts on those gentle nudges we get from the Holy Spirit. I admire that about him. Stephen recently got married to the most wonderful girl and is living too far away!

Matthew is the giver in our family. He loves to do things for other people and go without credit. Spending time with Matthew, I always know, just by being around him that he loves me! He has a gentle spirit and a desire to give. This christmas, Stephen's wife, Cecilia, spent her first Christmas away from her family. Her birthday is on Christmas eve. When we had all gone to sleep for the night on the 23rd, Matthew went out and bought birthday decorations...he decorated the kitchen, the hallway and her door! He is so thoughtful! I am so proud of my little bro!!!

Namesakes and Legacies

This is my Granny D (DeVan), or as some know, I like to call her Granny D Be Bumpin! Many of you have met her or at least heard stories about her. I do not know anyone that does not fall in love with her the minute they meet her. She is 91 years old, and up until this week, she has lived on her own, gone to the grocery store by herself (look out drivers!), and taken care of herself. This week she is moving in with her daughter and son-in-law. She is excited about it, and I, for one, am excited for her. Before she married, she lived and worked in Washington, DC, and her stories from that time in her life never get old. She married my Granddaddy and settled down in Jackson, TN, where she still lives today! My Granny D raised 5 children and took care of her husband until he passed away on December 25, 1998 at 85 years of age. She has 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. But, the most amazing thing about Granny D is her love for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! She will talk about Him forever if you let her, and I know more than anything in this world, she wants to see her children and her grandchildren and her great grandchildren grow up to know Him too. Thank you Granny D for passing on that legacy to my Daddy!

I do not have a recent picture (this one was taken in Hilton Head when I was in high school) of my Grandmother (Mary), but I sure wish I did! My mom's mom passed away when she was just 70 years old, also in 1998. She was like a second mom to me and we were all the family she had. She married my grandfather and had my mom. 18 months after my mom was born, my grandfather was killed in the Korean War. My grandmother went back to school and became a 3rd grade teacher. She raised my mom with the help of her mom, my great mama. I remember endless summer days spent fishing, going to the beach, looking for sharks teeth, shopping at the base, and riding around in her powder blue volkswagen bug. We spent time with her in Jacksonville, FL each summer and she spent a lot of time with us in Jackson, TN over the holidays and summers too. I remember sitting in my den when I was younger holding her picture and crying because I missed her. She was still alive then, but she seemed so far away in Florida. My Grandmother had not had the easiest life, but she loved the life she had, and I never once heard her complain. But again, the greatest thing about my Grandmother was that she loved the Lord and she raised my mom in a Christian home, and for that I am most thankful!

I hope to leave that kind of legacy!

Who Needs Starbucks...

When you can have the Ugly Mug!?!

Last night, John and I went to see the Grizzlies play the Sacramento Kings. We ate dinner overlooking the court at Opus...yummy! The people watching was great from up there! One fan in particular was hilarious. When the camera was on him, he went into this crazy dance mode, completely embarrassing the girl he was with. Between that guy and this little old lady in the handicap section, they were having a dance off. I must admit, that was way more entertaining than the game, and I really like basketball!

After dinner we took a stroll around the FedEx Forum to check it out. Narrowly escaping the extra friendly, talking deprived man behind the souvenir counter, we made our way to our seats, and much to my surprise, found a little Ugly Mug coffee shop on the way...yet another highlight of the night...what a delight!!!

California Knows How To Party

Check out the hottie I met in California! This pic was taken after an outing to the Sacramento rock climbing facility and a delicious meal at a Mexican Restaurant by the river.

Ok, on a total side note, some of you know that a while back my mom quoted Usher, from his Oprah interview. Well, more strange happenings have occurred. She called last night to tell me she had watched The Bachelor and that a girl I cheered with in High School was on it. I couldn't really get past the fact that she had watched The Bachelor! I don't even watch that show. All I have to say is, I’m thinking Matt May might be responsible for this sudden change of behavior, as he was the last person to live at my parents' house...

My Big Bro!

Backing up a little, I wanted to fill everyone in on pics from Stephen's wedding. It was a fun time spent with family and friends! If you weren't at the rehearsal dinner, I just want to say, it was the neatest one I have ever been a part of. As people got up to toast, it was really amazing how God revealed Himself and the way He has used Stephen and Cecilia in the lives of so many. It was full of encouragement and completely Christ focused!

Randy (my youth pastor), Susan, Cecilia, Stephen, Stephan and Chris (Stephan is one of my running buddies).

Matthew (little bro Hamm), Chris, Stephan, Me, John and Stephen.

Chris doing the dance from Napolean Dynamite at the reception...

Cecilia and Stephen

Smoke Break Anyone?

I am sitting here in "cube world" wondering is this really where I work?! If you are in a cube, you can probably relate to my desire to find new creative ways to keep myself sane as well as entertained. As many of you know, one of my favorite past times is that of throwing paper wads and airplanes into my boss' office, but since I took on this new more "prestigious" role, my new boss does not appreciate the art of crafting planes from paper...nor do I think she would laugh were one to hit her upside the head, let alone come sailing into her office. So, I have sought to find new work hobbies.
So...my latest hobby is sneaking up behind people with the pig catapult, curtesy of Hannah! This little gadget has proven to provide hours of entertainment for the "cube dwellers." You can launch up to 5 little pigs at a time, and they go in all directions! And the best part...it came from the dollar store...

I highly recommend for the cube dweller in you!