New Year Around the Corner

This year has been a crazy ride! I started this blog earlier in the year having no expectations and I have been amazed at the amount of people who read it around the world. I don't know who you are, but thank you for reading!

There are so many things I did in 2011 that I never expected to do. I went on my first service trip out of the country to the absolutely beautiful and friendly Belize. It was such an awesome trip and I'm so glad I went. I finally went to Washington, D.C., too. It's kind of funny that I went to my own country's capital AFTER venturing outside of the nation. Oh well, I loved DC!

I'm only half way through my junior year of college and I must say it has been my favorite semester of college so far. It hasn't been easy, but I finally made Dean's List! After being so close to making it... literally within less than a point from a 3.5 several times... I am so happy I finally did. It just topped off the semester where I got my Meredith Onyx, another opportunity I didn't know if I could have. Thank you to those of you who supported me throughout this fast paced semester and my angry rants of frustration. :-D

My faith has grown so much over this past year. I feel like I have a better connection with God, but I know it will be something I work on my entire life. There is a perfect Bible verse for this: John 3:30 -- "He must become greater; I must become less." I still struggle as all Christians do, but it takes being willing to let it all go to God and focus on Him more than myself. It's HARD. God can handle all of my struggles and bring me even more blessings than I can imagine. I need to let Him do that and praise Him!

It has been a crazy, winding year with family and friends. Not all of that has been what I expected, but God has a plan and I am along for the ride. Who knows what will come in 2012?

A Baby Changed Everything

As I get older I am reminded that Christmas isn't just a day. As a Christian, I know this deep down, but I feel like I get lost in the race to finish shopping and just getting silly things done. We all need to stop the rush and remember why we have this season in the first place: a baby named Jesus.

I can't even begin to imagine what Mary felt like when Gabriel came to tell her of her pregnancy. The confusion and fear she must have felt were put aside when she said, "I am the Lord's servant..." (Luke 1). What an amazing act of faith! The gossip and ridicule she faced in that time being a woman who was pregnant without a husband was immense. Joseph was even skeptical that this woman he was pledged to marry, who was supposed to be a virgin, was pregnant with the Son of God. The Lord came to Joseph and told him not to be fearful and to wed Mary. The baby she was carrying would be Jesus, Immanuel, "God with us."

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." ~ Luke 2:11

God works in mysterious ways and often changes our plans. He definitely changed Mary and Joseph's plans. They were good and faithful servants who brought God's gift to us - our Savior - into the world. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving. He has saved us from our sins.

 

Christmas Day brings a feeling of joy and eternal love from the Creator that should live in our hearts always. It is the day to celebrate the gift we have all received: the chance to accept eternal life with Jesus. It's an amazing feeling... a baby changed everything!

Get Gussied Up

It is that time of year again when Christmas parties roll around. You will likley be seeing family and friends you haven't seen since the last seasonal event and need to make an impression that will last another year. You need to get gussied up.

gussy (v) - to enhance the attractivness of something in a showy way, usually followed by the word up

This phrase can be used in different ways, so make sure if someone says to you, "Well, aren't you all gussied up" that the tone isn't condescending! They may be implying that your outfit is a little... off. There is a difference in being stylish and going overboard. You can be stylish with a few interesting pieces of clothing or jewelry and keep your outfit reined in. If you do this and someone says the same thing, then you are spot on and your oufit can be a topic of discussion (in a good way) for the ladies.



A tad overdressed
Google Images

I think it is always better to be over dressed for an event rather than underdressed, but please... you know what is reasonable to get away with. Please do not walk into an event looking like Scarlett when you should be looking like demure, Southern lady (even though that dress IS amazing)! Batting your eyelashes will not save you from whispers and being uncomfortable all evening! 



Turtle Cheesecake

I am finally done with exams and on break for a little more than a month. During this time of year I love spending time with family and friends. This usually includes the activity of eating! :)

I recently made a Turtle Cheesecake. Have you ever had chocolate turtles? They are caramels and pecans covered in chocolate. They are one of my favorites during this time of year. The Turtle Cheesecake puts a spin on this delicious dessert.

Turtle Cheesecake
Originally from Southern Living

Ingredients

2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (38 wafers) (can make GF - see directions)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
1 cup (6 oz package) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 (12 oz) jar caramel topping
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Combine first 3 ingredients (wafer crumbs, sugar, butter); stir well. (Trying to make it gluten free? I made my own crust from GF cookie crumbs that I keep on hand in the freezer). Firmly press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes (I skipped this step since I already had my cookie crumbs and didn't want to add the extra sugar). Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with a mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping sides and bottom as needed. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes. (Center will not be completely set.) Turn oven off, and partially open door; leave cake in over for one hour (This is important, so really do follow these steps!). Cool completely on a wire rack; cover and chill at least 8 hours. Gently run a knife around the edge of cheesecake to release sides of pan; carefully remove pan. Transfer cheesecake to a serving plate.

As you can tell, I didn't put the crust up the side...
or spray with non-stick spray. lol

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small heavy saucepan; add chocolate morsels. Stir over low heat just until chocolate melts and mixture blends. Spread warm chocolate mixture over cheesecake; chill 15 minutes. (I attempted to drizzle the chocolate over the sides after covering the middle of the cake).

Combine caramel topping and pecans in a small saucepan (I didn't have a jar of caramel sauce, so I melted down about half a bag of caramel cubes with 1/4 cup a milk, adding caramels until I had the consistency I wanted -- added the pecans and followed the rest of the directions). Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Spread over chocolate; cool completely. Serve immediately or cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.

This cheesecake will rock your world! It was so good that I didn't want to stop eating it! It's pretty rich, but not too heavy. It may become a Christmas food staple in my family!

Turtle Cheesecake

 A word of caution: this thing takes forever to make, so I suggest starting it at night and letting it cool in the fridge over night to finish in the morning. Just make sure you follow the cook times pretty consistently, especially the time it takes to cook the actual cake. As long as you follow the directions, the cheesecake should come out... even if it is your first time making a cheesecake! Slice and enjoy!



Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

Things don't always go the way we plan them, but God's got a plan for us that is better than what we can imagine. This time of year reminds me to be thankful for all that I have. Even with how unsettled my life feels at the moment I know that God has me in His hand. A few verses from Psalm remind us about true thanksgiving:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

~ Psalm 100: 4-5

Just a few things I am grateful for...

My Savior
                      family
                                                        good friends
                                                                                               laughter
               the grace God gives me
                                                                        sunshine
 unwavering protection
                                                            this season of giving


I don't remember to give thanks as often as I should. What are you thankful for? Write them down even if they are just for you to read. Even better, share them with people. There is so much we have to be thankful for yet we forget to say something as simple as "thank you," "I appreciate you," or "I love you."

A Child's Prayer - we should take note :)

Really do take the time to give thanks and be grateful. We all have something to be thankful for!

Let Go and Let God

Since beginning college, my faith has become stronger. My Sunday School class and I have talked about how when people go off to college it is almost as if the church expects them to wander away from faith and come back "when they're ready." This makes me frustrated. What if when we plan on being ready comes after the time that God is ready? College kids aren't perfect, but no one is. Yes mistakes are made, but age shouldn't be an excuse when it comes to faith.

When I got to college I absolutely loved it... I still do. Freshman year I was blessed with a roommate that was very much like me and she shared my Christian faith. The housing office didn't pick her... God did. We hit it off right away and are still friends. Having a friend at school to discuss prayer concerns and other faith matters kept me grounded and helped me explore my faith a little more. I started going to Campus Crusade my sophomore year and was annoyed with myself that I hadn't started going my freshman year! I absolutely love getting together with this group on Thursday nights to worship with people my own age. Along with other things going on in my life I realized I didn't like where I was in my faith. I wanted to have a stronger connection to God.

This is a wild example, but the only way I can think to describe the way my faith used to be...

Imagine you are afraid of heights, but for some reason you are about to go bungee jumping off the highest bridge in the world. The man straps you into your safety gear and ties the rope onto you. Your thoughts take over: The rope could come loose! I may hit something and break bones in my body! What if I drown in the river? You begin to panic and just can't do it. You physically can't make yourself get up onto that ledge and jump. This is kind of like the type of Christian I was a few years ago. I felt like I was strong in my faith, but when it really came time to fully trust God I couldn't let go of everything (see Matthew 14: 22-33).

Now imagine this...

You are back at that bridge for round gazillion and two. The weather may be a little different and you are a little older, but you are at the gate of another problem. Something feels different today, though. You wave aside the safety ropes the man is holding and with with a running leap you jump off the bridge into faith (please keep in mind this a FAITH example... don't try this on an actual bridge!). This is the kind of faith I strive for everyday -- leaping to God trusting that He can handle my all. God is there waiting at every turn before I get there and I can't let fear plague my every move.

"You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar in all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely .... Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there you hand will guide me, your hand will hold me fast."

 Psalm 139: 1-4 & 7-10

Do I "let go and let God" every time I struggle? No. Am I a perfect person? No, there is no such thing. Perfection and hesitation are my enemies. I am so much better about letting go to God than I was just a year ago, though. The thing is, God knows I am not perfect and He loves me anyway. He loves you too... get ready to jump into a faith with God! You have to give Him your all.

Hot Air Balloons Galore!

I absolutely love hot air balloons! I think they are the coolest thing to see in the sky! A balloon you can ride in? They're almost as cool as air planes. I read that in 1783 the first manned hot air balloon flew up. Can you imagine seeing one flying in the air back then?

So, I like to go to events very prepared. I make sure I know if I need to bring anything special, location, what the weather will be like and whatever the schedule for the event is like. After planning this trip since this summer with a friend I felt like we were super prepared. We were staying at her parent's house so that we didn't have to make a crazy 5 hour round trip. Ew.

We left a little later than planned, but it wasn't a big deal because the next set of hot air balloons weren't supposed to take off until around 4:30... we were going to make it there around around 3:00. My friend is from this area and had never heard of the festival, so we figured it wasn't going to be that much of a problem with traffic. Wrong! lol. We sat in traffic for like 30 minutes and were told by some chatty cops that we had to go to a parking lot farther down the road and take a shuttle to the place where the balloons were taking off.

We got in line behind probably 30 people with a gazillion strollers waiting for this shuttle the cop mentioned. After waiting for about 20 minutes I asked a couple in front of us how long they had been waiting. They had been waiting for over half an hour. A shuttle finally drove up and it was one of those small buses that holds like 15 people... not happening.  By then we only had 45 minutes til the balloons were supposed to take off. We were not about to miss this after the planning and long trip. I asked the man how far it was if we walked... there were a lot of people walking. He estimated about 1.5 miles.

We struck off on the walk at a fast pace hoping to get there quickly. We're young and a mile and a half isn't far, right? Don't forget this is close to the mountains and we were walking up hill. After the first hill we crested we were hoping to see SOMETHING that said "you're close!" Think again, all we saw was a never ending line of cars. So, we power walked some more. We saw some people leaving the event and asked how much farther. They said, "Oh, about 20 more minutes." Okay old man, a mile and a half? Kiss my grits.

By now we had been walking about half an hour, up hill, hauling a heavy quilt. We saw this family on the side of the road selling collard and turnip greens and WATER! They were very encouraging and told us it was about another 15 minutes. COME ON!? These people must not have learned about estimation in elementary school.

We finally made it 45 minutes later, ready to pass fall out. Once we got in the gate we were greeted by 10,000 people... I do not lie. It was the friendliest and most well behaved crowd I have ever been around in my life.

We got to watch all of the balloons get blown up right in front of us. I was so cool to see all of the colors rising up.





Hot air balloon dominos?
Photography by KES

 In total we got to see 47 balloons take off. It's cool enough to see one in the air, but all of them were incredible to see... like big dots of color in on a blue canvas.

Photography by KES

My favorite one!
Photography by KES

Photography by KES

We even got to see the Ghost Buster car, a monster balloon (literally) and eat stuffed grape leaves (Greek)! :)



Who you gonna call?
Photography by KES

Oh, and guess what? That mile and a half was actually 4.5 miles... the shuttle driver clocked it. You better believe that we did not walk back! We ran to get in line after we saw the balloons in the night light. All in all, the festival was so much fun! Definitely worth the 4.5 mile walk and would definitely recommend it!

Absolutely beautiful!
Photography by KES

Halloween!
Photography by KES

Hopefully one day soon I will be able to ride in one!

My G.G.'s House

Growing up, I would go to G.G.'s house. I loved this house - Westover as she liked to call it. It smelled like fresh bread, the floors creaked when you walked, and every room had something for me to explore. The library had so many books that I would eventually have my nose stuck in as I grew older. I also loved to climb the magnolia trees which I fell out of more than once.

I have been told that I was allowed to do more in her house than any of her grandchildren (please note that the grandchildren were boys -- 6 of them). No child was ever allowed to go in the living room.... until me. There in the living room was the tea set that I thought was once a queen's. The writing desk had old letters from her brother in WWII and photographs that I loved to read and imagine who the people were. On one table was a little music box that G.G. eventually gave to me. I loved to twist the crank and listen to the song over and over. The song is "Always" by Irving Berlin. My great-grandfather whom I never met bought it for her. It was their song and he would sing it to her. The piano was there in the far corner. I loved to "play" on that piano. I would make up all kinds of songs which I'm sure drove my parents crazy, but my great grandmother loved it. G.G. would play for me and I would sit on the bench and listen to her. The last time I heard her play the piano was at my13th birthday when she sang and played hymns at the piano in our house.

There is something about that house that I can't explain. Not too long ago I was in a store and I picked up a candle to smell it. The familiarity of the smell smacked me in the face and the emotions came pouring in (no I didn't cry). So, I stood in the check out line smelling this candle trying to figure out what was so familiar about it. I finally realized it just as I was about to check out. It smelled just like G.G.'s house. It smelled like the library, the pillows, the rooms I would hide in and explore for hours. I loved that smell. It made me realize just how much I missed her and that wonderful house.




G.G.'s 80th birthday


Today would have been her 96th birthday, but I know she is happy where she is :)

My Meredith Onyx

I have a beautiful black, shiny Meredith College Onyx on my finger. I have made it through classes I thought I would die in to be able to wear this ring. My G.G. and my mama attended Meredith, but neither of them had an Onyx. I keep staring at my ring amazed that I actually have one. It is a blessing to have one in more than one way just to have one.

To be honest, I didn’t want an Onyx when I came to Meredith, tradition or not. I know this may seem surprising! I didn’t understand the significance of the Meredith class ring. Over my freshman and sophomore years I watched my Big Sis’ and other friends work towards earning their class ring. I began to realize that I did want the Meredith Onyx on my finger.

I can't wait until that first time when I hear someone say, "You're a Meredith girl" -- just by seeing my ring. It will be nice for someone to see that I am a "MCG" without seeing a bumper sticker on my car or a sweatshirt.

My roommate from freshman year and I got ready together. It was fun hanging out since we don't see each other often. It's funny how far we have come in just the two years of knowing each other! The whole hall was decorated so nicely and I loved the centerpieces on the tables. All of the food was delicious and amazingly it was wheat free! It was so nice to walk out of an event NOT feeling sick!

It felt like it took forever, but after the new president Jo Allen and vice president Jean Jackson spoke we finally got to put on our rings! It was so exciting!!! There were squeals of excitement and laughter all around the room. Of course it was then time for pictures and everyone ran around to find friends to take pictures.

To my surprise I turned around an saw my Big Sis' who graduated last May standing there. I was already extremely happy to have my Onyx on my hand, but I was pleasantly shocked to see her. Many of you who know me know that I rarely cry... well I did. They were happy tears, though!

Meredith helps women improve their strengths and skills to become remarkable women in the world. To the network of people associated with this college, the Onyx shows the laughter, the tears, the late nights, the traditions, the projects, the relationships, and most of all the growth of a Meredith graduate. The onyx is a wonderful symbol of that journey. I am so happy to finally have my own Meredith Onyx on my hand!

My Kind of Fall

This past weekend I was packing up stuff in my room at home and found some old photographs. Some of them were fall photos from when I was little and they made me smile!

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.

~ Emily Bronte



Me and my Daddy



Me and my Mama

My Bobo



Me :)



I loved looking back at all of the photos and remembering little details I had forgotten about. Take the time to dig back through your old photos. It's a lot of fun. :)

Fall in Love With Fall

Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love how the leaves crunch under my feet, the cool weather, the smell of the air, and the fact that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner!

October is always an especially busy month for me! My birthday is in October and I turned the big 2-0 this year. You're not old until you're 80 as far as I'm concerned, but talking to little kids sure can make me feel that way!

I went to Washington D.C. over fall break and stayed with my cousin, his wife, and their baby boy. I took the train up, which was a first. Now, I can say confidently that I will be using the train again in the future. It was so much fun and I was able to get a ton of work done while riding. While I was in D.C. my cousin introduced me to a lot of people who work with the government. I am interested in working for the government when I graduate, so that was very insightful.... and exciting! :) Praying I can get an internship next summer! The rest of the trip he and his wife showed me around D.C. and we got to catch up on life. I loved seeing them and getting to know D.C. a little more!




Union Station - Photography: KES

 

Union Station - Photography: KES

 

Back of White House - Photography: KES



Jefferson Memorial - Photography: KES



Jefferson Memorial - Photography: KES



Lincoln Memorial - Photography: KES



Atlantic side of the World War II Memorial - Photography: KES


 

Washington Monument - Photography: KES


Next week is going to be very eventful for me!!! I finally get the long awaited Meredith College Onyx ring. To get the Onyx you have to have a junior level class status which is at least 60 hours. I have been blessed to have help in getting mine! They are extremely expensive, but the Onyx is famous to alumnae and people who know about Meredith. I have heard of women getting jobs, because the interviewer not only liked her resume, but because she recognized her Onyx and knew that MereCo has excellent students! I have also heard of Meredith girls traveling around the world and people recognized the ring. How cool is that?! Even though I pick my ring up at the beginning of the week I'm not allowed to wear it until the ceremony at Ring Dinner next Friday! SO EXCITED!

The morning after Ring Dinner I am getting up to go with a very good friend to a Hot Air Balloon Festival! I love hot air balloons and am very excited to see them all! I would love to ride in one, but the tickets were just a little expensive for my college student budget! :) There will be concerts that day and a corn maze that night!



Hot air balloon I chased one afternoon :) - Photography: KES



Now I just need to remember that I am a student and have work to do... pictures to come soon! 

A Month of Sundays

After the near disastor of losing this blog, I am back! Thanks to the hard work of two pretty awesome people I am able to continue posting here.

Obviously I haven't written in a long time. In the South there is a phrase for such a long time. It's called 'a month of Sundays'. This phrase can be used if you haven't seen someone in a while or you haven't done something in a while.

A month of Sundays actually sounds like a nightmare... like that "Groundhog Day" movie. It totally freaks me out to think about waking up to the same day over and over. If Jesus doesn't give you enough of a reason to do things the right way, imagine having an eternity of waking up to hell... just a thought.

Thankfully a 'month of Sundays' is only a saying used by people with pretty accents!

Example conversation:

"I haven't seen you in a month of Sunday's! I heard at church that your mama was doing a mite poorly."

"So good to see you, sug'. Yes, mama fell and broke her hip about a month ago. She so appreciated that lovely card you sent her!"

Don't you just love the way Southerners say things?