Reunion...

My dear friend Keeba was in town last weekend (unfortunately for her grandfather's funeral)..... So glad she took the time to stop by!

It was so great to see her! Our friendship goes way back..... to middle school band -our clarinet-playing days :) and through high school when we used to take turns carpooling each other to school!

Some flashback pics of me and the Keebster... ♥

8th grade

high school

senior year 

Wow; that first one's a doozie!

And of course the quality isn't fantastic (since I just took pictures of them rather than scanning them in) but it's all served as a nice trip down Memory Lane for me... :)

Aren't lifelong friendships just the best!?

(makes me glad I've been documenting the moments all these years! :)

Fun with Silly Bands...

I just love these things... even despite the silly band craze; I just think they're great...

from the pack I sent Steph & Jen in Thailand

...so they could be up on what's really going on here in the US ;)

Steph's sentiments: "I feel so American now"
(yes, she was born/raised right here in SC!;)

And a few pics I've sent to show just how cool Silly Bands really are...

our friend & cousin Katyia after lunch one Sunday

my sweet friend Dejunara from Freedom Readers

The other day I gave one to my little friend Carly (Jill's oldest) and I think it made my day more than hers! ♥

Tukula bag

http://www.tukula.org/, originally uploaded by kimalford.

Thanks to @jconnolly and her sweet $10 raffle to help her church-planting husband/family get to Boston to start Gospel Community Church, I actually won this sweet Tukula bag! :) :)

GLAD to give for the sake of the Gospel and cannot wait to see all God does through this sweet family & church!

Flower Puffs by HappyTogether

tutorial/how-to

I just thought these were way too cute not to share :)

If you're up for the inspiration/easy how-to, you should definitely click the link! ♥

Save Blue Like Jazz the movie..

Cool story happening over at http://donmilleris.com/

Click HERE to see the short video and see what all the commotion's about..

Tell the right story at the right time, and you’ll change the world...

-Donald Miller

David Crowder's new video...

Or maybe I should call this The Gospel according to David Crowder Band [with the help of Lightbrite(r)s]

David C. blogs about the background to the song and video Shine (from their album Church Music).. It's a must read/see. It's guarantee-ably inspiring; only a beating heart required... Please check it out, even if you don't read every word, click on the link, read some of the words, and whatever you do, click on the video at the end of the post and watch the three minutes of inspirational genius by DCB... Ready! Set! Go!

BLOG (background) + video

VIDEO only

Thailand update..

http://ourthailandtravels.blogspot.com

These two (Steph & Jen) are up to some great things.. Sharing the love and Gospel of Christ in Thailand.. [and just so happen to be two of my best friends/heroes!]

Check 'em out if you will.
♥

Love Wins.

These verses from 1 John, chapter 4 have captured my attention...

(10) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins...

(12) No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

(18) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

(19) We love because he first loved us.

In September J. and I had a sweet opportunity to catch up with Chip Judd (I blogged about a small part of our conversation then) but there's more; a lot more. And I've literally been processing it since then... Here are my notes from the meat of our talk:

Fear-- driven out by love

When we have fear, it's due to an absence of or insufficient amount of love.

(Does God love you? Yes. -Then what are you afraid of?)

God, help me learn to let You love me [rather than help me love you more].

We love Him
because
He
first
loved
us.

Normally we start with fear and go looking for love.
But it should be the other way around.

We should start with love
and go looking for fear
(to run it out).

The Designer's intent is that we live in a state of being/knowing His complete Love.

Do I do things to be loved?
Or do I do things out of Love?

---these words hit us hard that day. Like a sweet new revelation... like a secret we wish we'd known all along. We have talked, thought, and prayed that God would continue to teach us to receive and really know His love above and beyond anything else. I pray the same for you [and everyone I meet now] because His full Love is what changes things. It's what changes our hard hearts and stubborn wills. Love never fails (1Cor.13:8). {aka Love Wins}

Raleigh Road Trip..

Great times on the road with my love this weekend.....

getting there really is half the fun...

playing... (aka fighting antsy-ness)

We saw some sites...

NCMA

had great food...

  

enjoyed some fantastic company...

and played Jenga with our new friend Rowan & family!

got to visit the local Vineyard church...

Triangle Vineyard

and we even had time for a hike before heading home! :)

Greenway Bridge

And there you have the highlights... Thanks for stopping by! ;)

Birthday goodness...

A morning present from my love...

He wrapped it himself! :)

EXACTLY what I wanted!! :)

{Simply Sublime Gifts}

and breakfast at my favorite spot... 

:)

Some fun at work (Thanks to Jen!! :)

haha... and she made Bean Dip!!! :) :)

mmhmm, that's whipped icing! :)

And as a finale, we ate at my favorite Thai restaurant! (I tried to get a picture of the Thai TV they had playing -for my BFF- but it didn't work out...)

homemade card from my sis! ♥

not pictured: present from Mom & Dad... some sewing tools I asked for... pinking shears, a sewing ruler, and a rotary cutter! :) :)

and my favorite pie (homemade also) from Mom! :)

Along with some sweet calls, texts, and emails from some precious friends & family, Dad left me this sun-catcher and a sweet card in my car for me to find when I got off work... 

I'd say this birthday was tops!!

...and my Family-in-Love is still scheming a little get-together celebration! :) 

American Girl Day

Fun times at work yesterday.

We played, laughed, had sweet tea and cookies, and gave away an Innerstar University doll!

More pics and winner to be announced on the B&N blog.. :)

Jordan-outing (again)

Friday after work, we got to catch up with our friend-cousins again... Sadly, I never got the real camera out, but at least I had the camera phone to document the occasion.

Tuller & Ada

after the babies ate, we walked... ♥

jer and a duck :)

 (We love these Jordans!!)

Kayla's [Family] Birthday celebration...

Wednesday (Kayla's actual birthday) the five of us went to East of Chicago pizza place & arcade... (It reminded me of Showbiz Pizza where I had at least 3 years of childhood birthday celebrations!)

yumminess... (that one on the end is taco-pizza!)

[more] presents for the birthday girl

a Webkinz!

Jeremy beating me at ski-ball...

and a very blurry self-portrait (b/c they're my favorite:)

What I failed to document was the fun loot we got to bring home... Kayla racked up on tickets and got a plastic bowling set! Jeremy and I faired pretty well too and brought home a hacky sack, parachute men, bouncy balls, a glider, and those things you turn in-side-out that pop up real high [poppers], and a set of pink vampire teeth... :)

Jill's baby girl #3..

Rachel Marian

born on 9/30

Finally got to see and hold her this morning while her mama got a quick shower.. Oh, sweetness ♥

cutest nephew ever..

It's been a while since I've seen Christopher, much less posted pics... got a nice play-time photo-opp with him last night though...

what a sweetie ♥

Tamara's 29th..

After Kayla's shenanigans, we headed to Conway for some more birthday fun...

sweet Haylee

So many cool gifts... and a new laptop!!

cousins ♥

Kayla's 8th Birthday Party...

Props to Mom for pulling this one off yesterday!!

7 of 10 little girls -making homemade pizzas...

and 'sugar-art' necklaces...

seriously can't believe she turns 8 this week! ♥