umm...no way!

I was emailed this picture by a friend and thought it was blog worthy. Apparently this is a real sign located somewhere in Florida, probably south around the Everglades would be my guess. Kind of unbelievable...think it is legit?

RIP black heels...

Today is a sad day...well kind of. One of my favorite pairs of Nine West pumps have died. All of my friends know that I love shoes to a fault, but I am also the pickiest person. Black shoes/pumps are the worst! I feel most comfortable when I have several pairs since I wear them nearly everyday to work...well I am down one pair today. It usually takes me lots of trips to DSW and several purchases before I find black pumps that I love, because of this I have lots of black shoes. Some I love, some I hate!

In December, I stumbled upon a super cute pair of Vera Wang pumps at Kohl's but talked myself out of buying them because I didn't need anymore black pumps. Today I am kicking myself for that decision because those Vera's would have been the perfect replacement for these broken and yet oh so comfortable Nine West's.

Oh well, now I have an excuse to go shoe shopping right? :) Happy hunting to me!

Florida Alphabet

My brain is full of silly kids camp songs, and sometimes someone will say something that makes me think of these awesome tunes. The other day I was talking to a friend who said he brother was in Naples for Spring Break and I responded with "oh, that's where the old folks go"...no, I am not kidding. I then gave my friend a brief explanation about the Florida Alphabet song, which has been in my mind since that day. The Florida alphabet song was my favorite song to teach and sing with the kids when I worked with them, they are so cute when they are all singing and doing the hand motions that go with this song! Warning, this song is catchy ;)

I love my alphabet, I love my State...I love learning, yeah it's great! Put the three together and what do ya get? You get an alphabet that just won't quit!

A a alligator
B b boat
C c conch shells, they don't float
D d dolphin, swimming oh so fast
E e everglades, sea of grass
F f fishin' in the
G g gulf
H h heron with a fish in his mouth
I i itch, from mosquito bite
J j jellyfish, what a sight
K k key deer, almost extinct
L l lobster, tasty I think
M m manatee, gentle and slow
N n Naples, where the old folks go...
O o Osceola, Indian Chief
P p Pennekamp, coral reef
Q q quarter moon, time to sail
R r raccoon, with a long ringed tail
S s suntan, on a winter's day
T t turtle, floating on the bay
U u umbrella, always in reach...
V v vroom at Daytona Beach
W w waterspout, off the coast
X x eXtra juicy clams you can roast
Y y yellowfly, ouch that stings
Z z Zephyrhills, famous springs!

Hope you enjoy the song as much as I do :) Maybe I will share another silly song next week!

Fleming Island has a movie theater!?!?

It is official, we are moving up in Clay County! We now have 2 movie theaters, wow! Last Friday the Carmike Cinemas opened their doors in Fleming Island. Thursday night the Quigly House had a fundraiser event and hosted a "pre-grand opening". I am not really sure what strings Libby pulled to get us tickets, but I am thankful she did! It was very exciting to say the least. I mean, how often do cool things like this happen in our town? This event was more than we expected, including red carpets and doormen wearing tuxedos. All we knew was that we needed to be there from 7-8 for orderves and then each theater was playing a different movie at 8. As soon as we walked in Libby and I say that Twilight was playing and we screamed like two junior high girls who just got tickets to a Hanson concert (go back in time with me for a minute, okay?)...we were EXCITED!

After reading all the books and talking about Twilight together for weeks, it was pretty stinkin' awesome to see the movie together at a movie theater before it was officially open to the public. OUTSTANDING describes the night actually. Even Ashleigh who had not read any of the books (she is reading them now) enjoyed the movie-that is once we stopped embarrassing her! Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment, I am sure you can tell we had a great time!

just some thoughts...

During quiet time today a verse really jumped out to me and has been on my heart ever since. Psalm 13:5 says this: "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation". This verse is a reminder for me personally of what I need to do everyday. It is so easy to get wrapped up in everything about me and my plans, that i forget to realize that my plans really do not matter. I know that I often times worry about things that I know I have no control over, so ultimately worrying accomplishes nothing. If I would take the time to realize that at the moment and trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5), all of my anxieties will vanish (1 Peter 5:7). His love is enough, and it is all we need. We are his children, and he cares for us and will provide.

Lord, forgive me for making selfish plans and getting irritated when my plans change. I acknowledge your presence in my life and understand that you open and close doors for a reason. I know that no matter what the destination is, and what doors are closed I will get there according to your perfect will for my life. Please help me to trust in your love everyday and rejoice in your sacrifices. Thank you for your never ending love and faithfulness that I do not deserve. In your Holy name, Amen.

Songs of Comfort

Sometimes you can find comfort in the most unexpected places. Things like scents from childhood, food from family gatherings, or pictures of precious memories are common comforters and can be easily triggered. Recently I am have found more comfort in music, specifically 'How Great Thou Art'. What a powerful song and testament! I grew up hearing this song from my Grandfather, and it holds a very special place in my heart. It is amazing how it will pop up on the radio or my ipod on shuffle at the the right time and make my day. God is good, and he takes care of his children!

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling/mighty thunder,
Thy pow'r thru-out the universe displayed!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When thru the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him!" Nahum 1:7

Lent

Recently I have heard many outstanding messages that really spoke right to my heart. During this season of Lent the Spirit has really been moving in communities and I a part of and myself. A common question during this time even for Christ followers is this: What is the season of Lent for exactly? Lent is a season of soul searching and repentance, a time to access what is becoming between you and the most important relationship we could all have. It is about growing closer to the Lord and for me, learning to listen to the Spirit. Are you listening to the Spirit, or are you ignoring the nudges?

Credit Cards (RUN AWAY!)

I have a simple warning for any fellow shopaholics like myself: Run screaming in the other direction when the sale clerk asks you if you want to open up a credit account with that store! I am serious people, the sweet little deals they tack on are so tempting-20% off here, free shipping online, $10 on your birthday...all these things sound great, BUT they could financially ruin you. I realize that may be a bit dramatic. I'll rephrase that to they have the potential to financially ruin you. Even if you keep the account manageable. The ability to buy what you want, whenever you want it is super victorious until the bill comes! Whats worse, these stores like Victoria's Secret, JC Penny's, Gap and Kohl's tack on ridiculously high interest rates too making it hard to get ahead if you ever get behind (which I am sure you never will). I was once sucked into the trap of store credit cards, and now I am officially FREE. I paid the last card off yesterday and it is now cut up in my garbage can.

Its liberating, I encourage you to get rid of these cards. You will be glad you did :)

Photography...

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am constantly taking pictures...of everything. Recently I have become more and more interested in photography as a past time and not just a way to capture memories for my scrapbook. Don't get me wrong, I still love scrapbooking and will continue to snap pictures endlessly :) I think there is something really amazing when creativity is behind the camera a bit. Who knows, maybe I will take a class...here are some recent pictures I took for a friend who needed updated pictures of his beautiful daughter:

Hidden Blessings

Last weekend the weather was so nice in Florida, so on Saturday I went out on the boat with a few of my cousins for the boys did some wakeboarding. The water temperature was in the 60s, so needless to say I did not get in. It really was a blessing to spend time with family and especially my baby cousin (well he is 3 now, but still a baby in my eyes). We had so much fun laughing and making fun of the older boys when they fell, splashing water on each other, and sharing his cheese its (that's love!), and taking lots of pictures (kid after my own heart!). The amount of energy and excitement he has is amazing and I am pretty sure it is impossible to be in a negative mood around him. This kid touches my heart every time I am around him. Here is one picture I snapped while tickling this little man...isn't he cute?


"We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

agh...the beach :)

On Sunday I got up early for the first service at church, then raced home to change into my bathing suit and head to the beach. Let me just say, that it was an amazing day! I spent hours on the beach with just my beach towel, ipod, and a good book (the 4th Twilight book!) soaking up the sun. It was wonderful. Sometimes I do love living in Florida and being so close to the beach. This was my view Sunday afternoon:
Praise God for Spring and warm, beach weather :) Bring on Summer!

Hobbies?

It is official: I have a new hobby. (drum roll please)...rock climbing (indoor, I'm not that extreme okay?!)! I talked some friends into going rock climbing at the only location locally that has rock walls and we all had a blast! I had no idea that it would be something that I would enjoy so much, maybe I like the challenge? I am hoping to go again soon...even if I go alone. It is such a great workout!

Online Shopping

Online shopping could easily be the death of me. Seriously. I am a sucker for advertisements and sales! My record has been improving simply because I did not need anything...but when I discovered I needed a graphing calculator for one of my classes, my ebay quest began. Not only did I need a graphing calculator, but my cell phone decided to be unresponsive-thus I need a new one of those too :) RIP 1st generation BlackJack!

Success is partially mine at this point. I was victorious in my ebay bidding for a new BlackJack that has awesome reviews. The funniest one to me was about the color of the phone. I chose red, simply because I like color and my previous black BlackJack was boring. "The two available models are striking for different reasons: the black version has a lacquered finish that makes it eye-catching, while the burgundy color is just plain sexy and unlike any other. There's another difference between the two devices, besides just the color. The burgundy BlackJack has a textured finish on the back that makes the phone easy to grip, while the black version does not, so it's somewhat slick and prone to smudges, but that's not a deal breaker." Yes, this reviewer used the words sexy, and deal breaker in a cell phone review. Whoever the author of this review was, thanks for the laugh!

Hopefully I can claim victory over the graphing calculator soon, and no longer be the student my professor calls on to answer the question knowing I do not have a calculator. Oh, that will be the day!

Eclipse

"As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob-knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bell has one more decision to make:life or death. But which one?"

I finished the 3rd Twilight book last night after some studying, and by studying I mean fighting with my computer. Can you believe that Libby beat me to finishing this book? I gave her the first one to read a little over a week ago, and she is already on the 4th and final books. She puts me to shame. The third book was as exceptional at the first two, and I especially liked the way it ended. I am going to start the 4th one this weekend if I can find time, otherwise next week for sure. I have heard some people say they loved the final book, and others say it was their least favorite. I will let you know what my vote is in approximately one week :)

New Signature :)

Okay, I was distracted when I should have been studying last night and I might have changed a lot of things about my blog. Keyword: might. This is the final test with the signature thing, so hopefully it works!

...drooling...

I have been distracted all day with thoughts of cupcakes. I actually may have a cupcake for dinner tonight. It is all because Jennifer(thanks for that, Jen!) talked about Cami Cakes on Saturday on the way to the race-they have been on my mind ever since then. I need one of these! Cami Cakes...here I come :)

My Dad is the best :)

My mom has wanted a hot tub for years, in fact, she constantly talks about her desire for one. Last weekend my Dad built a deck and only told Mom that he thought they could put a hot tub on it one day. Much to her surprise, when she came home from work one day last week there was a hot tub waiting for her with bubbling water in it. How awesome is that? Yep, my Dad rocks. Good job Dad!

MudRun!!!!

On Saturday, I gave up sleeping in to run 6.2 miles (10k) in the mud. That's right, mud. I participated in the first ever Jacksonville MudRun to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. It was AMAZING! It was something that I was looking forward to and dreading at the same time, but I am so glad I did it-and cannot wait for next year! We took so many pictures, and they are all very funny. Here are some for you to enjoy:





If you want to see all the pictures, go here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=225791&id=562445190&l=521bc