Showing posts with label Regency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Regency. Show all posts

Monday, May 25, 2015

The Mean-Time-Inbetween Time

This is a combination of many miscellaneous things that I've come across from around New Year's through this spring.
There are pictures I've found amusing, funny, inspirational, and relative to life, foods and creations I've made, comics, and some awesome people!
Peanuts pictures are my favorite!  They're simple and make me smile.  Whether it's on instagram, twitter, facebook, or sent to me by a friend, I rarely go two days in a row without saving a new picture.
Cooking is one of my favorite things to do! 
This will be my husband and me one day.
My friends and I give each other heartfelt gifts.  We know each other so well, and always get each other surprises that other people would probably consider dumb, but we find them quite resourceful.  Last summer I started a trend of decorating bananas to give to my runner friends, and for Christmas, Katlyn gave me some!  We were a little late exchanging gifts, but that's another thing that makes our friendships so unique.  We know how things go!
Dad and Katlyn did a great job on these.  Dad cracked me up shopping at Bath and Body Works, but he did a fantastic job getting things for Mom and me!  Katlyn did well there, too.  I do love to ski.
During the winter, especially on breaks, my family goes out to eat dinner more often.  We made a couple trips each to Buddy's then TCBY and Akita then Sweet CeCe's.  This was our New Year's Eve celebration at Akita.  Who needs a party?  We are the party.
My neighborhood is full of people who run: me, of course; Danny, Megan, Cherie, Chantal, my Dad, the Wilson's dad, and even an older girl who ran several years ago, Bailee, whose mom now assists Coach Haas at West View XC!  Katlyn also lives nearby!  
Determined I am.
More visits to Regency for my grandmother!
The pretty pumpkin spice muffins that came from the Williams-Sonoma mix my mom got me for Christmas.
I fell in love with this picture of my dad and his sister when he showed it to me.  I think they still look the same!  Dad was such a happy baby!

After finally getting a pair of chacos for Christmas, it gave me so many more opportunities to show off my coordinating socks!  Bella's socks here really caught my eye, so I took a picture of our sockos.
My rain jacket, ski socks, and chacos matched perfectly, as well as kept me warm and dry while the weather was cold and wet this winter.

To add a little extra to my indoor cross training workout when I was cooped up inside, I ended each day with the #ScoreNotSore challenge by Daily Burn!  I like to participate in contests, even thought it's unlikely that I'll win, it's still fun!

This was another contest I did, #FeedYourDream by The Feed.  This is a limited combo of how I'm working to feed my dreams, doing all kinds of sports and activity in all kinds of weather and places!
AP History is just too much to read!  Have you carried one of those books?  It is the heaviest textbook I have ever had or seen.  The chapters were all so long, even with 2 weeks of snow days, I was still behind.  Reading American History was just not very interesting to me.  I find the history in the Bible much more enjoyable. (:
Creative Coffee Cup for Coach

Chick-fil-a is always doing awesome things for the community and providing excellent service for the customers.  The day we had Bible Study that was closest to Valentine's Day, all the girls were pleasantly surprised to open up their biscuits to find a heart!
More love for Valentine's Day!  The Trojan Nation needs to share more love among everyone.
My parents took a day to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in February to go shop, shoot, and stuff (their bellies, that is) to celebrate their anniversary.

I absolutely love my small group.  It's always a party with Patty!  Hope and Julia (also in this picture) bring their own talents:  Julia-silent but deadly, and Hope-an amazing singing voice!  (They have many more talents, but those were just the 1st two to come to mind)

I know I have said in the past that I let things pile up when I get so busy with school.  Here is some visual and literal evidence.

Not only does Luna White Chocolate Macadamia now contain cashews, so does my mom!
Post-grocery goofies

 


Dad sent me these two pictures.  Glad to know that he thinks of me when he sees things relating to farts and poop...
In AP History, women's roles are an important topic.  One day that we had spent a lot of time talking about a time when women became much more involved in the community and workforce, moving from the traditional roles inside the home, even looking at some "Rosie the Riviter" advertisements, I decided to wear my Fight Like a Girl shirt.  We've got the power!
 

  

 Here are some more food things that I did over time:
Merica: yogurt, strawberries, blueberries
If you have never microwaved your eggs, you are missing out.  Another, "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!"
Not only did I discover that there are such things as purple potatoes, after cutting into them, I found that the whole thing is purple!  I added them to my roasted and seasoned vegetables.
Finally, homemade banana-pistachio pudding:  Ninja-blended frozen banana, milk cubes, pistachio pudding, and pistachios

 
A huge thanks to Coach Farmer for our new state champ shirts!  These are even better than last year's.
I really love my frozen yogurt places (like Sweet Frog, right) more than any desserts, but I've been to Marble Slab a couple times lately, too!  I'm trying to be more flexible and save some money.

This is the background image for the blog of Ryan and Sara Hall, my favorite pro running couple.  They love Jesus, are distance runners, have beautiful dogs (one of my dream breeds), and they are pretty themselves!  Their lives are dedicated to reaching and serving people all over the world for the Lord.
 
At the start of the new year, for several weeks, I set a small little goal of ways to help me stay focused on people other than myself.  Here's a couple for example.
Seeing the heading to this passage was encouraging!
Just browsing around one day, I found a page called WellPath that was full of picture quotes for an active life.

This one is from the instagram page of a brand called Detour Bar.
I saved this one because it is so true!  No matter how tough or terrible, satisfying or successful a situation may be, if you take the time to just "stop and consider God's wonders," (Job 37:14) peace can still be found.



Ya know that I love goats.  Kids are so cute!  (Goat kids and human kids, pun intended)

Mutts Comics also has an instagram!
It's almost time for Jaws to be on TV and Shark Week programs!  It had been an especially long day, but I was going with it, in a light and goofy mood, and improvised this remix on the spot while I was telling my parents goodnight.
 

 Goals.

My friend Chantal shared this one with me.  My response:  "Peanuts AND running?  This is too perfect!"
@snoopygrams will never fail to make you smile!
This page is even more likely to make you smile!
For about a week during my morning routines, I looked through year's worth of pictures from Daily Bible Verses's page on instagram.  Here are just a few of my favorites! 
I say that you should go follow this page!  If that's all you get from this post, GO TAKE A LOOK.  There will be verses for all situations and decorations!  It's impossible that you can browse through them without finding one that speaks to you personally.
 
Ending this one on a high note!
More to come!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Twas the Night Before Christmas



I remember being a little kid and looking forward to this day like there was not another thing to bring so much excitement in the whole world.  It seemed like the day would just drag on and on until time to leave for Mamaw and Papaw's.  I spent time coloring and keeping up with where Santa was headed and where he had already been on my favorite Christmas website, emailsanta.com.  I always looked at the countdown clock, found coloring pages to print out, wrote Santa a letter, always amazed by how quickly he responded, and looked through pictures of the North Pole.  Since I've gotten older, things aren't quite the same.  I definitely don't have to worry about any day dragging out; the time passes faster than I can count it!  I'm not so concerned with all my new toys I'll get, but with the feelings that come from celebrating and the joy that comes from Christ.
 

While working on a poem for a multi-genre essay for English, I remembered a poem that I had written several years ago about Christmas and decided to go find the old notebook that I had written it in.  Reading back over it, I realized how true those things still are years later.
 
Christmas
 
Christmas is the best time of the year!
Can you believe it’s already here?
Minds are running wild.
Memories of being a young child
Receiving the toys,
Filled with simple joys,
Wondering what goodies Santa would bring that night.
 
The Christmas morning sight
Fills everyone with delight.
Only crumbs of cookies for Santa and munchies for the deer
Left to show that he really was here.
Memories made on these days
Will stay with me always.
But now that I’m older
With more knowledge on my shoulder,
I can realize there’s more:
“Christmas doesn’t come from a store.”*
Santa and his elves
Are just decorations on the shelves.
Another character actually steals the show.
 
This is a beautiful truth that I know.
Once a long time ago
God promised His Son
Would come and be the One
To die to save us from sin
Then come alive once again
While still being human like you and me.
 
Virgin Mary met an angel
Who said her son would be Immanuel.
Although she and Joseph weren’t yet married,
By God the baby would be carried.
They left for Bethlehem to be counted,
But a crowd at the inn had already amounted
Leaving the expecting couple in the stable.
 
That night Jesus was born.
Shepherds and angels came to adorn
And worship the Savior, Prince of Peace,
King of Kings, the true centerpiece.
Jesus is the reason
For the season.
 
I pray that today
We all remember the way
This glorious holiday came to be.
Not about you and not about me.
Please don’t lose sight
Of that beautiful night,
But share the true joy of a gift we can never lose.
*From the book/movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
I don't get to go to my Mamaw and Papaw's house as often as I would like to, but every time I do, I wish I could stay longer!  When I was younger, I would spend the night, and I miss those peaceful days!  Out in the country, you can't help but relax.  I've always thought Mamaw was a great cook, too.  She doesn't think it's anything special, but that's okay; it doesn't have to be.  I think everything tastes better when it comes homemade from family.  No lie, though, her vegetables and pies are what I look forward to more than presents when we go to visit!  Now she makes extra of the things she knows I love, just for me.  Two years ago, I went down to their house extra early on Christmas Eve so I could help cook everything and get some of her recipes.  I've got the one for her pies (sweet potato--my favorite-- pumpkin, and squash) that I hope I can make as good as hers to share with my family in the future!
(Green beans, corn, ham, and carrots aren't the only foods Mamaw and Papaw fix, but that's all that would fit on my plate at the time.  They also make some killer broccoli casserole, cornbread, dressing/stuffing or whatever you want to call it, and mashed potatoes.  She also makes oatmeal pie and two flavors of fudge.  My dad isn't a big veggie pie person, so she buys a key lime pie or homemakes a lemon meringue pie for him to have with his fudge.  Grandparents are just so sweet and thoughtful!)
On Christmas Eve, I always get a little start on the gifts that I will get for the year.  It's not a lot, just from the grandparents, but that's enough to add suspense to the holiday!
My Papaw knows that I like to get little goodies from him, and this time he hit the bulls eye!  I am not a candy person, but the one candy I can't get enough of is candy corn!  Thankfully, it's not just a Halloween treat anymore either.  There's this little Amish market in Bulls Gap, not too far from where they live in Whitesburg, called Yoders that my Papaw shops at a lot.  I've been wanting to go there for a long time, and it is on my bucket list!  Local stores always have some of the neatest, handy, and unique items.  This time, he gave me a whole container of holiday candy corn and even had some different shaped candy corn!  I had never seen any that wasn't in the 3-color triangle, but these were in trees, snowmen, and bells!
These are the superstars!
Granannie doesn't get to go out much anymore, but we all were really hoping that she would feel up to coming to Christmas Eve with us.  We picked her up and dropped her back off that night no trouble!  It wouldn't have been too fun at Regency on Christmas Eve, so I'm so glad she got to visit with us!
Regency definitely got the place decorated really nice!  This snowman was there to greet us at the front door.
I loved this simple sign, reminding us that we should be filled with the spirits that Christmas gives us all year long.  That would make this world such a more wonderful place.
Seeing this town scene set up reminded me of the ones we used to have at home.  Mom got rid of all those decorations many years ago, but I always enjoyed looking at (and sometimes playing with) the wintery scene.  
As we were heading out, I could see this gorgeous, huge tree lighting up the dining room.  This is the best Christmas decoration picture I got all year!
People just love to give Granannie gifts and snacks, but she just can't use and eat them all, so she let's me go through and take what I want.  This little muffin was dried up, but it made an awesome decoration, so I took it home to put with my gingerbread house!  Whoever made these was so creative.  It's a chocolate-cherry, Hershey Kiss mouse!
The icing on the cake...the Christmas to the Eve...well, actually,
the Christ to the Christmas!
Ever since I can remember, it has been family tradition to read the Christmas Story together before I go to bed on Christmas Eve.  Once I got old enough to read well, Mom and Dad let me take over the reading.  No matter how old I get, it still gives a sense of peace to the night, just as Christ was born to give peace to the world.
 
"For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  Isaiah 9:6
 
"...I bring you good news of great joy that will be to all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord...Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."  Luke 2:10-11, 13
 
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins...they will call him Immanuel--which means 'God with us.'"  Matthew 1:21, 23
 
How sweet it is to celebrate the Savior who gives us all these wonderful things that come along with Christmas.  I am so glad to have come to understand that there is more to Christmas than getting gifts.  I am proud to say that I have received the greatest gift anyone could ever ask for, and it will never spoil, get boring, break, need new batteries, run out of gas, need replacement or repair, or become too small to wear.  He fits in my heart and soul all year long.  All it takes is faith.
 
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 
2 Corintians 9:15