Greetings from Clearwater Beach.Many of you know that I have been swept up in
a whirlwind this past week.I left
Thursday morning bright and early for Raleigh, North Carolina where I would
celebrate the marriage of my sister Ruthie to her one and only sweetheart,
Luke.It was a precious weekend with my
family and a testament to the Lord’s faithfulness to a couple that fell in love
in high school (maybe even before) and dated long distance for four years of
college, hours and hours apart.
It was a crazy four days.I landed, picked up a rental car, and drove straight to my sister
Rachel’s house.Can I pause here and be
sappy? My 1 year old niece came toddling out the front door with her arms
outstretched to me and I started my
weekend with watery eyes (which continued most of the weekend).Gosh I love that sweet little girl.Thankfully Thursday day was low key and I was
able to have a lunch date with Rachel and my niece Noa, just us three.
After that lunch date however, things geared up quick!Rachel planned an amazing bachelorette night
for Ruthie and I was thankful to be a small part of the day of prep for
that.The food was delish, the panty
game was hilarious, the dessert was on point (as it always is in the Breslin
household), and the closing of the night was my part.I was in charge of bringing the serious,
spiritual element to the night.I guess
this makes sense being that I am the one working for a church now, right?
As the ultimate charge I read Proverbs 31 – the wife of noble
character.I think we’ve all heard that
at some point but how often do we take that line for line and consider what it
would be like to be that wife?Here are
a few highlights:
She is virtuous.
She is capable.
She is trustworthy.
She brings good to him (her husband) every day of her life.
She is a cook.
She is a businesswoman.
She helps the poor.
She is strong.
She is dignified.
She is wise.
She is hardworking.
After I read that on my own to prepare for Ruth’s party I
thought, man, this is it.This encompasses
all that I could want for her as a believer and a wife.It’s whole and complete in and of
itself.What’s sweet about looking at
this now is as I prepare myself for this life and eventually (not REAL soon, so
don’t get too excited) to be a wife myself.What a goal to strive towards.And
better still?I don’t have to wait to be
married to work at being this type of woman.
We used this as a guideline to pray for Ruth as she
transitions into this new role, the biggest one yet.It was such a precious time for Rachel and I
to pray for her and to hear 15 of her closest friends who know her differently
than Rachel and I do pray over her.Is
was truly a sweet, sweet time.
I’m really continuing to muscle through this in my mind as
I’ve come back to my hometown (and left again, for a retreat across the
bridge).God continues to challenge me
every time I start to get a little bit comfortable where I’m at in my
relationship with Him and in my identity (hey, did I JUST write about
this?).Obviously I’m not giving you the
whole description of my weekend today but I really wanted to share this portion
by itself because it spoke to me even as I was the one supposedly leading the
charge.
I'm afraid the next couple weeks I'm really going to be itching for the weekends. But before you think that's to get out of work some of the weekends are actually FOR work. I know I'm not the only event planner in my blog circle so many of you will relate to this... I'm entering the time of the year where the fruits of months of labor come together in events.
Obviously while you read this I'm in Haiti. I will return Saturday night the 28th and spend Sunday getting all the furniture into the guest bedroom for the painter to start May 1st. But after that the next couple weekends are insanely awesome. Ok wait, the first weekend in May will be low keyish. As low key as I ever am. Since the house will be in full blown upgrade mode I will be in town, hanging out, and getting things done.
The following weekend (May 12th) we have our Tampa Father & Kids Experience where Tony Dungy will be speaking. We're expecting about 1500 Dads & Kids. I've been working on this for weeks as you can imagine so I'm excited to kick off event season in our 'hometown' with one of my favorite men leading the way!
After that I leave Wednesday the 16th for Washington, DC! I will be there for 6 days with my cousins, aunt,uncle, the city, and Leanna! I am thrilled. This trip is exciting on so many levels. I love big cities. I love to explore. I love to get away. I love to experience.
I will return on a Monday and by that Wednesday the fun will continue with a visit from my Mom who will be in town just shy of a week, though spending the first few days (while I'm working) with her best friend on a little road trip as I understand it. Once the holiday weekend hits we'll be sunning, funning, fro yo eating, and guest bedroom decoring machines. I can't wait! My Mom's visited me once before in Florida and we had a blast! I've been begging for a repeat and I'm finally getting my wish.
After she leaves (boo) I'll head out a few days later to Alabama to work our Auburn event! I've never been to Auburn and I'm stoked to check out their stadium and work there for 2 days. I love to visit new places and to add stadiums to my list. You know you're in love with football when you keep track of all the stadiums you've been too, right?
The next few weeks promise to be crazy but packed with fun. Don't worry, I'm carving out time for the blog and friends during the weeks to come as well. But if you're hoping to get some face time in May you may want to put in your request soon, it's looking like this spring is going to be a blur!
Also to come over the Summer:
- Myrtle Beach Trip
- Best friend visiting
- Girls weekend with Mia, Jo, and Amber
- Possibly Daytona Beach to see my sister, bro-in-law, and niece
- Several other pending visits from friends
- Several other pending work events
This weekend I'm packing up my new overnight bag and headed to Tallahassee, FL to see my sweet cousin, Whitley, pitch! He plays for UVA and they have a triple headed against Florida State (the only places semi-close he comes are FSU and Miami). So I've reserved a few books on CD and I'm hoping may you all have a few suggestions of good road trip songs I can get on itunes before I depart on Friday? Seriously, leave your suggestions below.
I'm so blessed by an incredible family, immediate and extended. I'm so thankful I'm close to cousins - Wes and Whit are amazing. Thankfully, Wes as well as my Aunt Julie and my Uncle David will all be in Florida starting Saturday! I am SO excited. I thought you guys would like to see a few pictures....
Wesley & I on the front porch swing of my 'meme and poppop's' house - where we've spent many a holiday and summer growing up.
This is my and my Aunt Ju last spring in Winter Haven, FL where I went to see Wesley play baseball for Hamilton College (in upstate New York)
Me and my Uncle David, same tourney weekend.
Whitley (who will be playing this weekend) and I on the front porch of Meme and Poppop's over Thanksgiving this year.
And Wes and I after one of his games.
So I will be packing up my orange and blue and departing on Saturday morning for a weekend with the fam. I'm so thankful for each of them and my growing relationships with my extended family. It's so fun to cheer on my amazing cousins! And being the lone ranger living in Florida, it's nice to have family come anywhere in the state!
I will have about 4 hours in the car each way - so if I've been owing you a phone call, I might just make good on it this weekend!
Disclaimer: I promise this blog will not be this boring forever - new layout coming soon.
Hello loves,
I hope 2012 is off to an excellent start for each of you. I feel refreshed, motivated, and blessed as I begin what promises to be my most exciting year yet (do I say that every year? Well, it's true).
I returned on Saturday from an excellent, and blessedly long, relaxing trip to Indiana where I'm pleased to report I finally met my niece...
Noa. Sweet Noa.
Noa and her crazy Aunt B. ; ]
I flew in just in time to witness a Colts win (those were few and far between this year).
(this is my sweet baby sister Ruthie)
Me & my sweet Momma.
Got to see my best friend!
And have breakfast with my college roomie (well one of them).
I read 4 books, did a little shopping, ate too much, only worked out once...and came home excited for all the Lord has in store for me and my precious family in 2012.
Hello from Winston Salem, North Carolina. By the time you read this I'll be back in Florida but I'm writing while I'm away. I'm thankful now I toted my macbook with me on the road, it sure is fun to be able to keep up with blog world while I have more time than usual and fun to be able to post pictures to facebook, etc.
This has been a really special trip for me. I spent the first night in Raleigh/Chapel Hill with my older sister, Rae, and my brother-in-law Chris. My baby niece is due any day now and I was sure hoping she'd come in time for my visit but she's not quite ready, I guess. We ate frozen yogurt and french fries and watched Modern Family at their place Wednesday Night.
Thursday morning we woke early, worked out, and headed to Winston Salem to spend Thanksgiving with my Momma's side of the family. Winston Salem is a precious town, if you've never been here, it's worth a visit. The people are delightful and the the roads are named after Robin Hood!
I'm treasuring this time with my sweet family including my amazing cousins:
My sweet cousin Whitley and I on the front porch of the house our Momma's grew up in.
My Wessy and I on the front porch swing. Many a summers have been spent on this porch.
My first night here we spent looking through old photo albums and I had to share with you this find: I haven't changed a bit, have I? Ok, so my eyebrows and my haircut have come a ways but that face is just about the same.
What a blessing having a family like mine is. I couldn't love them more. These trips are the best - I'm loving it.
First off, a video to say farewell as I head to NC:
And now the real season for this post:
As I pack and prepare for my trip to the Carolinas it's with a bit of a heavy heart. There was a great debate about how the holidays would be spent this year with Dad busily working and unable to travel, Rae pregnant and ready to deliver my precious niece any day, Ruth still in school, me in Florida, and Mom wanting to be with each of us. It was hard for me to commit to a plan that involved any Christensen left behind - but alas, it will be a Daddy-less-thanksgiving day for me.
I'm thankful he pressured me to go be with the rest of the family, even if he can't be this year. But it's been a bit of a sad week for me, prepping for Thanksgiving with one piece of the family missing. I sure do hate when we can't all be together.
So today I thought I'd add to the long list of things I'm thankful for - this guy. In a country sorely lacking in good fathers, I really hit the jackpot. My Dad is my hero, my inspiration, my leader, my advice giver, my encourager, my face twin, and I couldn't love him anymore than I do. Sure do wish I could be with him this Thanksgiving - but looking forward to a Christmas in Indianapolis with him soon.
While I was so busy with real life I didn't find time to get on the blog, I had my best friend and her husband in town the same weekend as my precious Dad. I'm blessed to get to see both of them on a pretty regular basis but I have to say there is something extra special about having them on my 'turf'. I love to play hostess to those I love the most. I shared with you previously how much it meant to me to have my sister and bro-in-law a few months back (August) and now to have my Dad as well as Candy and Josh - well, I'm getting just plain spoiled.
Out to dinner at Lee Roy Selmons.
Doing a little Florida shopping for their fams back home - these were my idea, clearly. But I got overruled.
Happy One Year Anniversary to my best friend!
Church with my bff.
Grill master.
Quick nighttime trip out to the beach.
I love making memories in my favorite city. It's so fun having company. We also got to catch a Colts game including sideline passes for warms.
Candy, me, and Kayla in the WAY upper deck.
Josh and his two favorite ladies on the sidelines.
Dallas Clark - one of my favorite Colts during warmups.
The only part about this weekend that wasn't perfect was that it had to come to an end. I said a tearful goodbye to my sweet Dad at the buses Monday night after the game and a sleepy but thankful too sleepy to include tears goodbye to my bff on Tuesday morning. So thankful for a perfect weekend and looking forward to being reunited with them all in Decemeber.
Well hello friends. I know I've continued to be fairly absent since my last post saying I was hoping to be done being absent. Oops, here I am again. I've just returned from what I suspect will be my last work trip for 2011 (don't worry, there's some personal travel coming so I won't forget how to be a profesh flier anytime soon).
I imagine you can go ahead and expect that there will be a series of updates coming in the next week or so filling in the gaps on where I've been these past few weeks.
I just returned late Saturday night from a whirlwind 48 hours in Baltimore, DC, and Virginia. My work hosted out Baltimore event for the second year in a row at M & T Bank Stadium. Don't worry I brought you back a few snapshots...
M & T Bank Stadium - home of the Baltimore Ravens.
I thought this was really cool - between the locker room and where the guys can come onto the field.
Beautiful stadium.
A little time with my sweet PopPops (my Mom's dad)
Oh and hey Washington Monument - we'll be hanging out in the spring on my much longer trip to DC.
Thankful to be home safe but I have to say I wished this trip could have lasted longer. I got to sneak away to Alexandria, VA to spent a night with my Aunt Ju, Uncle David, counsin Wesley, as well as my Meme and Poppops who were up for a visit. It was precious family time, which I treasure. Just wish it could have lasted longer. Glad to have thanksgiving with Mom's side of the family already on the books to look forward too in a couple of weeks.
Hope you all are well and for those of you I haven't been keeping up with via letters and the tweet- I'll be catching up soon.
I know this is a few days delayed but I hope you all had as good an Easter weekend as I did. I've shared before that since moving to Tampa holidays are just not the same. With no family within a 5 hour radius, I find that holidays are vastly different. Not bad different necessarily since I have a great church family as well as I great friend base that keeps me from feeling totally alone, but it's not the same as veggie around the house stuffing my face with family, you know?
Well this Easter I didn't get to be with my own family but thankfully Thomas's family drew me into theirs and I was able to spend the Easter weekend with them. Friday night T and I went to my church, Grace Family Church for our Easter weekend service (we did the same service Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and it was so much fun to introduce him to my pastors and friends.
Saturday morning I did make the red velvet pancakes I mentioned here. They were a big hit. They were easy to mix but hard to flip, so if you make them yourselves I recommend making them smaller than you think and cooking them longer before you try to flip them or you'll end up with a bunch of halves! But we topped them with whip cream and chocolate syrup or at T's suggestion - Nutella. The general consensus was that they were delicious AND they tasted great that night when we took them out of the fridge as well. So, we recommend them.
Thomas cleaning up my mess after I turned the whole kitchen red with my pancake mix.
Post pancake lounging.
After the pancake party we ladies let the boy unpack the Uhaul of furniture that Thomas's parents had brought with them from South Carolina to further furnish their place and we headed off for manicures and pedicures. There are few things I'd rather do on a Saturday morning that have my legs massaged, lets me real, but it was also nice to have pretty toes for the Easter weekend - pretty teal toes, that is.
After our pamper trip I headed back to my side of town, grabbed some Yogurtology with Marta and hit the pool for an hour. I flew through the remainder of my book, Baby Proof, took a little nap, and then cooked a dinner for Marta so we could enjoy a night in, in our sweatpants. I made the baked penne recipes I shared on Tuesday and we feasted on a random assortment of items including skittles.
Sunday I headed back up to the northside to do church at Lifepoint with Thomas and family. Both Friday and Sunday it was neat to be able to worship with T for the first (and second) time in our relationship. I enjoyed the worship and message at Lifepoint and meeting some of T's pastors and friends as well as a few of the students in the high school ministry he volunteers with.
We made sandwiches back at the boys place for lunch that day and I managed to eat 5, yes 5, homemade truffles Thomas's mom made that were delicious. I have such a weakness for chocolate it's disturbing. And as Marta pointed out after my consumption of the 5th, no wonder my stomach hurts so often. Fine, caught. I couldn't resist.
I caught up on sleep and started another book that afternoon and at home before getting ready and joining the whole family for dinner at Maggianos. I love Italian food almost as much as I love chocolate so this was basically an epic fail of a day as far as my diet was concerned but it was worth it. I had pesto linguine that changed my life.
It was a wonderful holiday weekend and though it was sad my whole family was spread out across the US (per our usual these days) I felt right at home spending Easter with the Barbians. I've been trying to work those truffles off in the gym ever since...Hmm. I hope each of you had a special Easter holiday as well and that you remembered the reason for the holiday. What an incredible sacrifice was made and better still, to know that our Savior has risen.
Well I was somewhat absent (ok totally absent) from my virtual world this weekend. I feel a little out of the loop but thank you to everyone who read and commented while I was peaced out, and I'm working towards catching up on each and every of your comments and your blog posts. So have to fear, I won't be out of the loop for long.
I've shared previously that one of the few regretable things about me living in Florida is that not one of my family members lives within the same state as me. I am, in fact, a lone ranger down here. My parents are up in Indy. My sisters are in the Carolinas, where must of my Mom's side of the family resides. The rest are in Washington, Washington DC, Cali, etc. So when I get to have some family on 'my turf' it's a treat.
My Aunt Ju (my Mom's youngest sister) was in town this week with my cousin, Wesley, who plays baseball for Hamilton College in upstate New York and my Uncle David. I love all my family, let's be clear about that, but my Aunt Ju, Uncle David, and their two boys, Wesley and Whitley are so much fun! I love staying in touch with them and I see them every chance I get - which is, regrettably, not enough.
I was so touched when my cousin wanted to use his night off last Thursday to come down to Tampa (over an hour) to see my condo. You all know how much I love to inviting people into my little home but this was a whole new level of excitement. It brought me so much joy to show Wes and I was pretty much giddy with excitement at his response. He loved it! And I think I may have him convinced to move to Florida, asap (after graduation in May, naturally).
I drove over yesterday afternoon to watch him play in Auburndale (about an hour away) and spent the day lounging in the sun with my aunt and uncle, cheering him on. Wes and Whit are like brothers to me and I couldn't be prouder of them for a wide variety of reasons. They're seriously the greatest guys I know, I adore them. They're also smart, caring, and both great athletes (they both play college baseball currently). I love to cheer them on and I'm even trying to learn a little about baseball so I can keep up!
Next to my faith, family is #2. I cherish the time with them. It was really a great weekend, every aspect of it. But getting some family time really shot it through the roof. GREAT weekend!
Well the time has come again - walk time. I know this is the time of year that people are constantly getting hit up to support a whole bunch of great causes. Don’t think I’m not one of those people who’s getting hit up, because I totally understand. And honestly, I want to support pretty much all of them but I know that we’re all on budgets and we can only do so much. Whether or not the fight for the sanctity of life is something that makes your heart ache the way it does mine, I wanted to share with you a little about how much the walk means to me, personally. This is a chance to let you know me a little more intimately and share with you a bit about my family.
I do the Walk for Life as a tradition that I feel is my personal tribute to my Dad & his birth mother. My Dad was born to a 15-year-old unwed mother. By current US standards that would have made him the perfect ‘candidate’ for abortion. His birth Dad wanted no part and his mother was but a child herself. My Dad always describes her choice to give him a life with my wonderful grandparents as ‘selfless’. A true sacrifice of her own choosing that has given my Dad the chance at a full, incredible life. Wherever she is, I love her for that choice, and my walking year after year is with her in mind. What a brave woman she was, and what long-standing good her choice has made.
Here’s my Dad’s take on it, he always says things more eloquently than I:
‘I can't help but think of a 15-year-old, unwed, pregnant teen who made a courageous decision not to abort her child, but instead gave him a chance at life that over 50 million children since have not had. That child was me," he said....I am a husband, a father of three terrific daughters, and I'm an NFL football coach. I don't know of anyone whose life has been more blessed than mine," he says. "Coaching has given me the opportunity to influence many young lives throughout the years. And today, my own beautiful girls have and will continue to impact this world for good. What an impact one right decision can have’ – Clyde Christensen, www.lifenews.com
I could probably end this entry right there because that really brings home the heart of the matter. The fight for life has weighed heavy on the Christensen hearts over the years. Both of my parents have taken an incredible stance to value life and to bring a positive message about adoption. My Mom volunteers weekly at a Life Center in Indianapolis, and both of my parents have spoken many times over the past few years, including with former President Bush to encourage more people in their area and all over to fight for the lives of the unborn.
My sisters and I have had the love of life instilled in us from a young age. I think each in our own way we continue to carry that torch and take a strong stance ourselves for the sanctity of life. The Walk is just my way of contributing with more than just my verbal support but a chance to raise money for my local center and give more women the resources they need to choose life.
I hope for those of you who haven’t heard this story before this gave you a little insight into the Christensen crew. The Lord has certainly had a plan for my family from the beginning and I see daily how he’s blessed us. My hope and my prayer is that he’s blessed that sweet woman who made all of this a reality for us – who ultimately gave not only my Dad but my sisters and I a chance at life. My only regret at not knowing her is that we can’t thank her ourselves and that she can't see what she made possible. If you’re interested in helping me out with the walk, I’d certainly welcome that as well and you can check out my page here.
It's Super Bowl Sunday. This day last year I was with my family, dressed in blue, and cheering on our boys in Miami for the second time. This year, I'll be babysitting during the game I have zero interest or investment in. If I had to pick I guess I'd rather the Packers win but really only as the lesser of two evils in my mind.
This entry is not about football so let's get back on track...
This entry is about family. I was reading an article the other day about the 5 Habits of Happy Families and I decided to give my family a little quiz...
Give Thanks - No Matter What was #1 on the list. As I think back on this I'm not sure we always do the best job of thanking each other for what we do but my family has always made thanking the Lord a priority. I credit my Dad with his as he's in the habit of saying, 'no one's life is more blessed than mine'. He's constantly calling a timeout to thank God in prayer with our whole family. We did it the morning after we won the Super Bowl against the Chicago Bears and we did it again the morning after we lost to the New Orleans Saints. Thanking the one who deserves the credit for all good things earns my family an A+ for this one - so thanks Dad.
Seeking Out Satisfaction in your Choices - this one confused me a bit but as I read on I think I catch the overall idea behind this. Contentment. Not questions your decisions and being able to be content with what you decide and the results of that decision. Another life lesson I learned from my parents was living simple. As I've grown up and become more observant I appreciate more than ever that my parents raised me to be content and now to pursue an extravagant lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I have been blessed. But I've learned the value of hard work and earning what you want in life, no expecting that it will be given to you. As I watch friends of mine who were raised differently struggle now that we're on our own I remain grateful for my upbringing.
Lose Yourself in the Moment - the article is quick to say not EVERY moment but the ones that matter. Be present. Be wholly in the joy of the important moments. I think we've got this one down as well. My family loves to be together. I think of our vacation every summer when we spend all day on the beach, chow down on an amazing dinner, and A. play games or B. do bible study or C. share what God's been doing in our lives. Sure, we return a few too many text messages or take calls when we're together sometimes - but I think overall we're on the right track.
Spread Out the Joy - Well, this ones easy. Now that we Christensen girls are all spread out in distance we have no choice but to spread out the joy our family shares. So this one was done for us, does that still count?
Focus on Your Circle - I want to share a quote from the article before I touch on this one:
In an economic time when so many are struggling to get by, it's easy to fantasize that a little more wealth or success is the key to greater joy. So perhaps there is no better time for this reminder: All the studies on the subject show that the key and consistent element in the lives of very happy people is close personal relationships. Period.
I think those are wise words though I would add that a relationship with the Lord is the key in life. The past year brought it's share of challenges for each member of my family. I felt like more than ever, we drew together and conquered each of them with prayer, love, and togetherness. I was really proud of my family as we weathered some storms this year. God has been so faithful to us and what a blessing that each of my family members has a love for and a relationship with the Savior.
One of the things my best friend, Candy, does exceptionally well is be part of my life. That sounds weird, since you imagine that best friends would naturally do that. If you consider what you know about my life though, you can probably see how this would be harder if your best friend was, well...me.
Candy and I live 17 hours away. Which means we, sadly, don't get to be there for some of the small but significant day-to-day happenings of each others lives. I say sadly because honestly, those small moments are wicked important in the grand scheme of life and I'd love nothing more to be a part of every last one of them. That being said, let's get back on track...
Candy is an exceptionally good best friend and she does a great job of knowing every detail of what's happening in my life, which you all KNOW is a lot! She also makes sacrifices to BE there. She comes to Florida to see me, meets my friends, stays at my place, falls in love with my beaches, etc. She drives the distance from Scottsburg to Indy every single time I'm home. Last year she volunteered at 2 of my Indy events AND my Cincinnati Bengals event. She's taken the time to get to know my family members and spend time with them. She is so thoughtful I continue to be blown away by it.
On the flip side of that, I'm a pretty crappy best friend when it comes to this area. I'm a bit of a steamroller and I'm always on the go. It's not like I forget birthdays or don't return phone calls or anything really pathetic like that, but in the past I haven't always been as loyal to just be a part of her life as she has mine. As I examined myself over this past year I realized this really bothered me. When I notice that someone is doing something better than I am, I want to learn from them. I've learned a great many things from Candy but how to be a best friend tops the list by a landslide. I'm not JUST saying this because she's mine, she really is a first-class best friend.
I've always been someone who knows a lot of people but doesn't allow them to get close to her. It wasn't really until I graduated college that I realized the value of investing most of your relationship effort in a few close friends instead of a little bit of effort on tons and tons of shallow relationships. This sounds like it should be obvious, right? But you know me, honing in on things isn't always my strong suit.
Not one to get too caught up in thinking to take action, I decided there was no time like the present to change my less-than-stellar-friend-performance and get on my a-game. With my then upcoming Indiana trip I proposed a change in our normal routine of Candy (and Josh) coming to Indy to see me and I decided it was time to go see them. After all, they live in the town where they both grew up and there's tons of Candy's history in that town which makes me automatically love it because it gave me the best friend I've ever had. On top of that (and a huge bonus, mind you) their whole families live there and they both have great ones.
Since there were about a million of us staying in my house and only 2 cars, I did have to enlist help getting down there and Josh graciously chauffeured be back and forth. I want to pause to note here that if your best friend gets married - I hope for each of your sakes that you love the person they marry. This is a huge blessing that I think Josh is terrific and we get along famously. Lord knows, there are few people I'd trust my bff too.
This trip to Scottsburg, Indiana meant the world to me. I imagine that the recounting of this trip I will do here will come no where close to scratching the surface of just how grateful I am for every minute of it. I'm sorry that my utter lack of skill and ability to paint pictures with words will mean that this blog can't tell you all that I want to say...
First off, you can take the girl out of the city and she may just realize, she likes the country! We packed as much of the Scottsburg experience into those 2 days as we could and I loved every stinkin second. And by stinkin I mean, I went to a cow pasture (in my dress clothes) and it really did stink.
Every day is an adventure as far as I'm concerned and I love a new experience more than the next person. Scottsburg is nothing like Tampa but it has this amazing, small town charm that draws me in. Nowhere in Tampa can you get a fountain diet cherry coke from a real soda fountain in a drug store. Seriously, life-changing.
We took a great tour of Scott County and I loved it...
On the way back I half-jokingly said, 'before I leave tomorrow I want to ride a horse, then this trip will be complete'. Well we didn't have time to ride a horse but thanks to Tyler, I did get to ride a four-wheeler, in the dark. I try not to be a total weeney about things but I have to say I was just a tad bit scared - but thankfully I trusted Tyler not to get me killed. When I showed my Dad the video of me riding he said 'why were you driving so slow'? Apparently I drive a four-wheeler like a little old lady. Awesome.
The country looks good on me, don't ya think?
I have to say, I didn't know people rode four-wheelers on roads. But apparently in Scottsburg, Indiana - you can (or at least, we did). So we rode around and even popped by the junkyard poker game to say hi to Chad. Next time, I'm playing and I will take their money.
We also went down to the courthouse to see Josh's cousin be robed as the new judge! I apparently now travel to Scottsburg for big events of Candy and Josh's families. Weddings and robings that is. It was neat to see Marsha's robing though and it's amazing how big their family really is. Their family dwarfs mine!
I got to see where Candy went to high school. Drink dollar diet cokes from their McDonalds (in a Styrofoam cup - you don't even have to ask for it) - when oh when will Tampa adopt those? Candy cooked me dinner in her adorable kitchen which is decked out in red Kitchen Aid like mine - felt like home. I'm even learning to bond with Ace, her cat (I'm not much of a cat woman myself).
I decided last minute I hadn't had enough Scottsburg and I stayed an extra night so that we could do Christmas with the Owens. Thanks to a quick bond during the wedding weekend, I'm lucky enough to have Ellen as a friend now too. She's such an encouragement to me and I love our text chats throughout the weeks and the sweet pictures of her boys. Cason did most of the unwrapping of the presents for all three boys. Thanks to Santa Candy it was basically like Christmas all over again - paper flying everywhere.
I know I'm becoming infamous for not being much of a kid person but Cason, Jaxon, and Griffin are an exception. : ] I adore them. It was a treat getting to tour their house and play with the boys. Thanks to El, I can now alternate between drinking out of a mug with Candy's face on it and drinking a HUGE amount of coffee out of the sweet red and green polka mug she bought me for Christmas. I'm so spoiled.
It's hard to say what it is I love most about going to Scottsburg but if I had to pin it down, I guess it's that having only been their twice - it feels like home. I love the people. And the square. And laying in Josh's recliner hanging out. Four wheeling. Family events that are bigger than most people's reunions! Candy and Josh have always felt like family but when I go back to their hometown I feel like everyones family. Like I fit right in without ever missing a beat. I love that feeling.
I hope that my Scottsburg trip was a Christmas tradition in the making. I hope though that it will be sooner than next Christmas that I can get back there. In the meantime, I'm already getting excited for Candy's next trip to Tampa in February. I like us to always have a visit on the books so that it never seems too far away.
It felt good to make a big first step towards doing a better job of fitting into Candy's life instead of her always having to fit into mine. I hope sooner or later we live close enough to each other that it's one in the same. Until then, I think we're doing a pretty great job.
The country looks good on me, don't ya think?
