+easy as it sounds, it's never quite as easily done

Whenever I think about spring break, or breaks in general, I make these romantic plans involving adventuring to foreign lands and visiting exotic locales and doing new things. And then it becomes time to really decide on plans, and I always end up in Nashville. That's right, the city I ventured away from is the same city I run back to every chance I get. It is no coincidence, the people and places are part of me in a way I cannot deny. So, this past Saturday, Brianna and I closed our halls, packed our bags, loaded up a cooler full of goodies and made our way to the lovely land of middle Tennessee. My heart feels so full. Again. What a lucky gal I have been this semester (and year... and life...). My days were full of guys and gals that are part of my life who fill me up and make me remember why I am doing what I am doing. My nights were filled with dinners with Devon and spending quality time with him NOT on skype or the phone. There was time for praying, and journaling, and note-writing, eating, playing, and catching up. And if I could do it all again, I would do it just the same. Thank you, sweet friends and family for making my break so perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we left for spring break, we interviewed new graduate students, so of course I had a picture with Baby Jay!

All is right in the world... Sevier Park with the Devon!

Frisbee. Perfection.

I am MISERABLE about documenting (via photos) the wonderful people I got to see this week... so this picture of Laurajean will be the picture that encompasses Kelly, Amy, Hailey, Dr. J, Sarah, Kindall, Kristen, Fatima, Taylor, Grace, Alicia, Emily, Kristine, Vikki, Kelli, and so many more lovely faces, conversations, time... just so much time. I cannot get over it. So blessed.

I was in awe of the blossoms everywhere, and warm weather.

Frothy Monkey. To read and write and journal and visit. Oh, so missed.

Kindall & Kristen's apartment courtyard sitting.

Lemon! Beth & Drew's newest puppy addition!

Beth & Drew's Louisville home.

The snowstorm that Brianna and I faced on six of the ten hours of the drive back to Lawrence.

+i wonder if i've grown to lose the recklessness i walk in light of you

"So the imposition of ashes has a double meaning, one despairing, because it describes the reality of what we have made ourselves; the other hopeful, because it describes the new reality God has made for us. For the Christian, hope trumps despair. "In Adam all die" and "In Christ shall all be made alive" are both true, but Christ has conquered death.

But this is not a reason to feel good about yourself on Ash Wednesday. That would be to presume upon God's good will and take the Lord's death for granted. Ash Wednesday is a fast day given us to remember what we have done and to try to learn how much of the old Adam remains in us. And of course the more you see what Jesus did for you, the more you will want to face your sins, to track them down to the places they have hidden, drag them into the light, and with God's help drive them away."
-"Ash Wednesday's Double Meaning," Mills (2004)

+and let's write it while we've still got time

Today, Brianna's family and I went to Kansas City to see the man, the myth, the legend... Dave Ramsey. Interestingly, I have heard so much talk about Dave Ramsey on both sides - someone would claim that his principles had gotten them out of debt... another person would call him crazy or unreasonable. I never truly had an opinion because I had never read his books or heard more than a 5 minute radio segment.

Today was great. Good things to think about. Wonderful ideas for investing. And a huge feeling of appreciation/empowerment that I am learning these principles and philosophies while I am still very young. And so, because of the wealth of information that I'm still digesting, I wanted to leave you all with this lovely conversation with Brianna afterwards via text that makes me start thinking about what Dave says about thinking about the "later" and not always the "now." Even if this never happens, how cool is it to have friends to discuss and think about ideas like this!?

Me: How do you feel about beaches?
Brianna: Positively!
Me: Next year or summer - let's get a stack of books and head to the beach.
Brianna: Hmmm, I fully approve.
Me: We shall start a baby savings account for it! A jar, even!
Briana: Yes. Done. OR just put it into a mutual fund or Roth IRA for when we retire and go to GREECE!

+sometimes things change, sometimess we're waiting - we need grace either way

Attention: full on nostalgia ahead (warned you...) I am blessed beyond all measure to be able to have friends who not only tell me they love me, but truly show it with their actions and buy expensive plane tickets, give up their time, just so they can share a bed with me in on-campus student housing in the state of Kansas. Taylor came to visit this past weekend, and I cannot explain how refuled and filled up I have been this week. There is something about connecting with someone who has known you and seen you through all those rough college times that makes the depth of the friendship something sacred. In reeling from the good conversations that Tayor and I had this past weekend, I figured I should commemorate with some fun pictures that remind me of what a friend I have in her. I cannot believe that in 2 months and 26 days this lovely lady's last name will no longer be Payne, but Kelley...That all our late night conversations about boys and dating and love and romance will change into talks of Klay and marriage and wedding.

How we ever decided to be in different sororities is beyond me, but such is life. I believe this picture was from Bid Day 2008? We were both Recruitment Counselors (secretively so we could just hang out together more).

Camping in the woods.. in Nashville.. adventurous, right?

Documentation of our over-involvedness. RAs and ambassadors and every other thing you could think of.

My 21st Birthday

and Taylor's 21st Birthday!

More birthdays.... 22?

Costume parties.

Graduating from Belmont

The day after Taylor was engaged! And my last day in Nashville before moving to Kansas.

Together again, going to concerts again... only this time... in Kansas :)