SOLD!

You may remember [from a few posts back] the ol' 1962 Lincoln that we've been trying to sell...well, it SOLD! Finally. After much prayer, a few tears, and two Ebay flops, [why people would bid on something that they don't intend to or can't pay for is beyond me] the Los Angeles city attorney bought it yesterday to use as a "parade car"! [He knows Jennifer Aniston, by the way...I thought that was prettty cool :)] God is so faithful. Since I don't have a full time job right now, this sale is a huge blessing and weight lifted from a pretty really tight budget lately.  He blessed us with a good profit, and we are so thankful to have a done deal...and be on our way to the BEACH! We haven't been on a trip, even a weekend away, since our honeymoon. Looking forward to some chill time before we both hit the books again soon. We found a {super great deal} on a condo in Panama City, FL that we will be sharing with Kelly (Paul's sis) and her husband, Nick, and Taylor. Leaving this Saturday at 5am... SO excited. 

Now, I'm off to mail the title to the LA City Hall and meet my love to go shop for some new sunglasses among other beach necessities!  

really missing MSU...

Lately I've found myself missing Starkville and college a little bit, well maybe a lot.  

Maybe the reality is hitting me that I won't be picking up my student tickets and yelling "GO STATE!" like a crazy person with my cow bell in hand at every home game this season...

Davis Wade Stadium. MSU vs. South Carolina. Freshman year: October 2006.

Here are a few more reasons why I'm sorely missing college and living in Starkville...

Hoops at the Hump.

and watching Jarvis Varnado aka "SWAT" make block after block!
[now can't wait to watch him with the Miami Heat!!]

my sweet roomie, Diana, during sophomore year.

this divine place.

and more of our favorite good eats like 
{Petty's BBQ} 
{Little Dooey's} 
{Oby's} 
{Mugshots}

this little man, Walt, and his whole family. miss them tons!
[I started keeping him when he was 3 months old and now look at him! and he's got a baby sister now, too--Eleanor!]

camping out at Huddle House with Emily till 2am drinking coffee and working on our papers and maybe talking more than was absolutely necessary since we were supposed to be writing :).


Lee Hall = home of the English department = where I spent many, many hours.

As you can tell, Mississippi State/Starkville [for they really are inseparable] is one of my very favorite places. I'm maroon and white to the core :) Thanks for humoring me on my "trip down memory lane."  And if you aren't a Bulldawg, you don't know what you're missing!

  

what a thought.

Just wanted to share this thought I just read on Tara Leigh Cobble's blog. I read one of her books several months ago, and then began following her blog--good, good stuff.



"The depth of my sin, when inverted, 
can't reach the heights of His grace and mercy."


What an incredible Savior we have.

lately...

Life lately for us:

Our niece, Taylor, had her first slumber party with us!

{my kinda girl}

{in the ball pit my mom snagged at a garage sale}

{BFF=Bessie}

{rise & shine!}

the '62 Lincoln Continental Paul bought to fix up & sell on Ebay--the auction ends this Sunday--hoping for enough profit to go on a little vaca!

us at Paul's brother's wedding at the Lichterman Nature Center.

enjoying the patio blooms

 

{a bit unruly}

{basil}

photo shoot with my sweet friend Robin & her little chickadee, Olivia Carrington.

[I just love her name.]

a kitchen table re-do that took me entirely too long to finish. many thanks to my mama who helped 
tremendously with the sanding & staining!

{before}

{he was very interested in the project}

{after}

 

I can't believe how quickly the summer is passing! And to think that this time last year, we were scrambling around finishing up wedding details...

different by design

"get past differing and get on with making a difference in one another's life. God made us different--not to hinder but to help." 
-- From my reading today in Capture His Heart by Lysa TerKeurst.

ouch! I needed this admonishment this morning, but what an amazing way to think about our roles as husbands and wives--to make a [positive] difference in each other's lives.

If you are a wife, you need to read this book.  [It is only about an inch thick, so no excuses!] It is truly changing me and how I interact with Paul.  There are tons of marriage books out there, but, to me, this one is incredible.  It is concise, but it is FULL of God's truth, encouragement, and ideas for practical application.  God is teaching me so much about how to be fulfilled and how to be a blessing to my husband.  I mess up continually, but there is freedom and joy in knowing this: I don't have to [and can't!] do it on my own...the Lord's grace is sufficient...and his Holy Spirit is ever present to help me be what He has called me to be. 

pretties

I love jewelry, but I'm not a big jewelry wearer, or I should say I don't wear much variety--I usually rotate between 3 pairs of earrings (some type of hoop or pearl) and 2 necklaces (usually a diamond cross given to me by my dad when I was in 8th grade or a heart crafted from the diamonds from my mom's wedding set she had with my dad).  I guess I like the fact that these pieces look great with whatever I throw on for the day or if we go out.  For me, simple is good.  Anyway, I recently found this line from a Stay-at-Home Mom, and I absolutely love it!  It's silver, it's got pearls, it's sentimental--what's not to love?! It's all custom, hand-crafted, hand-stamped from sterling silver.

  

I'm reallly wanting a piece...should I start dropping hints? [Actually, I hAte "dropping hints."  Somehow it ruins the gift for me.  I really think Paul should just read my mind...] :)         

bring on the books, sack lunches, & field trips

For those of you who don't already know, I will be returning to school in September at Union University (Germantown campus) to start working on my M.A.Ed. (Master of Arts in Education).  It only took taking a job at a photography studio and quitting after a miserable two weeks; writing gobs of cover letters and filling out gobs of applications for secretarial positions, marketing, nannying, editing, and everything in between; considering law school, traipsing around to every law office within 20 miles of here hoping for a "gopher" position, then shadowing a paralegal to make me realize that the plan I had had since I was five was the right plan: teach.  Not sure why I ever thought I would like to do something else better than teaching, but I'm glad I now have the "exploring other avenues" bug out of my system! Call me idealistic or whatever you will but I am excited about teaching because I feel like it is a job in which I can really make a difference--though it may be a small one--in the world.  Add to that the fact that I have always loved school [I was the kid who, even through college, delighted in organizing my notebooks and having all my homework completed.]  Again, call me what you will.  So needless to say, I am excited about starting back to school both as student and teacher.

I am scheduled to take the Praxis English grades 7-12 Content Knowledge exam on July 24--I've got to start brushing up on my grammar and high school literature! And although I won't yet be certified, I was told to go ahead and apply for positions for this fall, so that's what I'm doing and we're praying someone will be desperate!  The M.A.Ed. program will take me about two years to complete (classes will meet a couple nights a week), will satisfy all the requirements for certification, and will give me a "transitional license" with which I can teach until I finish the degree.

In the mean time, God has been so faithful to meet all of our needs during this last month without me working.  And just this past Sunday, I talked to a couple in our Connecting Point class (aka Sunday School) who owns a franchise of Computer Explorers about the possibility of working for them. [Another couple in our class, who are both teachers, work for them in the summer and suggested I talk with them.]  They are a company who works with schools to provide technology education to kids ages three and up.  I am supposed to meet with her next week and hopefully get started working a camp the week of June 21.  If I am not offered an English teacher position for the fall, then I can most likely continue working for them throughout the school year.  [This is just one of the tangible blessings that is coming out of the relationships we are building with the people in our class.  I'm so thankful the Lord placed us at Central and in that class--He is really growing us through it.]

So, a teacher I will be.  I've got His peace about this [not so new] direction, and I'm excited.