Spillin' Over...

2007-04-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

figured i'd update. why not, right? hope you're not emotionally damaged, with me leaving you out to dry like this for 4 months!

it's been a fun few months. :) life is good right now. spring has sprung at cedarville, and i love that feeling. capris, 75 degree weather, light breezes, and the lake is REALLY blue. i go home for easter break on thursday, which is crazy to think about. after that, 2 weeks later i go home again for a wedding reception and my grandad's 80th birthday party, and then 2 weeks after that SUMMER begins!!! nuts.

i have a job lined up for this summer, working as the youth group intern under jeremy. :-D i am so stoked. it's going to be amazing. we're going to study Gods' Word together in the mornings, and then i get to lead Bible studies, make phone calls, visit kids, help plan youth events, etc. every single day. it's everything i would do anytime without pay, but i'm being offered a terrific salary for the job. praise God! what a ministry and what an opportunity for spiritual growth. i just can't wait for summer. late movie nights with the girls, driving around with the windows down, tan skin, dinners on the porch with my family, going to Grove every Sunday, playing guitar till 3 in the morning, the smell of chlorine and sun screen. :) 3 solid months at home. WOW.

i had 9 friends from Cedarville come home with me for spring break. :-D it was INSANE and so much fun. i just loved showing them all the places where I grew up and all the people who are important to me. we watched a lot of "the office" and all pitched in around the kitchen a lot - jen and leslie and bethany cooked some FANTASTIC food. we even went to the beach in north carolina for a few days and stayed in a condo. it meant a lot to me that they loved richmond so much - it's so close to my heart, and i feel like they're closer to me now because of it. :)

i'm doing my multi-cultural field experience at a public school in dayton right now. it involves 5:30 a.m. mornings and a LOT of resulting exhaustion, but i know it's worth it. the kids are very disrespectful and very behind academically, but i'm learning so much from my teacher about how to love kids regardless of their behavior and to expect the best from them no matter what. i'm getting excited about being a teacher someday!

alright...i'll try to post again soon. behave yourself, you journal-reader you.

2007-01-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas break. :) Gotta love it.
So much to tell! God has blessed me with a wonderful new car to replace my beloved Henry. I am so pumped. Meet Henrietta. :) Isn't she precious???

My Christmas was really nice. Yeah, maybe it's sappy, but giving really is so much more fun than receiving. I love watching people open gifts I buy for them. Ha...especially when it's my dad opening season one of "the Office"...because that means I get to watch it with him. ;) Hehe. I got a nice new digital camera and a cute new Vera Bradley bag. Spent the day with the big Dunnevant clan. We finished our mad present-opening marathon in a whopping 5 hours and 5 minutes!!! I am so thankful for each of them.

Taking Old Testament this semester really opened my eyes for the first time to the intense implications of Christ's birth. God's entry into the world wasn't just a miraculous virgin birth and the beginning of the Gospel story, although those things themselves would be reason for much celebration. Christ's birth was the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and Isaac and David - the actualization of years of prophesy. This was the hope of Israel, the one promise they were all awaiting with breathless anticipation. And here He was. God with us. The husband coming to reclaim his bride. A new covenant was beginning. Understanding this really casts a new light on a Christmas Eve candlelit service...

New Year's was pretty much amazing. :) We had a college New Year's Eve party at my house. THERE WAS SO MUCH FOOD!! We had a foosball tournament, and Katelyn and I lost by one point in the finals to Stephen and Matt - I thought I was going to have a conniption fit - it was 9-9, and there were about 30 people screaming and chanting our names. MY WORD! At about 10 minutes to 12, all the guys started jumping up and down and blowing on their noise-makers as loud as they could - our wood floors were shaking up and down! It was a crazy time. :)

New Year's resolutions:

*Stop being fat. (i.e. lose 10 pounds and keep it off)
*Live in a healthy manner (i.e. work out, get up 45 minutes before class, stop snacking non-stop, actually sleep at night, etc.)
*Spend time with God more consistently
*Make HIM my center

Haha...so a funny story. I was babysitting for this 6 year old little girl two weeks ago. She really likes to dance, and so she turned up her music and started dancing around the room. This kid is GOOD - she's about to join a hip hop class, and she has got serious rhythm. I decided to join her, and so I started dancing. A few minutes later I look up and see her standing still. staring at me with this look of disgust on her face. I asked her what was the matter, and she said, "What were you DOING???" Hahahahaha

A little less than a week left in Richmond. Not sure I'm ready to go back just yet. I've been enjoying hanging out with my family every night in my pj's. :) I just love Virginia. Sigh. At least I have wonderful friends to come back to...

2006-12-11T23:48:00.000-08:00

happy 2:49 a.m. :) can't sleep tonight...i think i've unintentionally trained my body to come alive around 1:00 in the morning. this is not a good habit.

it's christmas time at cedarville. :) the last few weeks have been really fun and memorable. christmas dinner at chuck's, story time with dr. brown. we decorated our hall in the dorm-decorating contest with the theme of "christmas at home" - the picture up there is us in our "family room" listening to donna read christmas stories. :) mom and christina came up for a weekend visit to hear my choir perform in the christmas concert, and then they took me and several of my friends out to olive garden afterwards - of course then we stayed up having girl talk in their hotel room until midnight or so. it was so fun having christina see the campus - i LOVE my cousin! jill's and my room is all decked out with garland and lights! i love this season so much.

unfortunately, however, finals week is upon me. luckily i have a crew full of refreshing friends to take the edge off. tonight we ended up staying at chuck's for 2 hours or so, and then we studied in the willett's lounge until about 10:00, when it became necessary to take a quick mofia break. :) it was hilarious, of course. i had a sentimental moment as I was looking around at everyone laughing (i'm kaitlin dunnevant, what do you expect?)...we are all so comfortable with each other, and we invest in each other's lives every single day. i love all of them for different reasons, and I am so blessed to live with such a support group on campus. God has simply blessed me with GREAT friends. i am especially thankful this month for rachel and for jen. i didn't really know rach last year, but she brightens my day whenever she walks in my room, and she has a level of depth and insight about her that is really sharpening to be around. and my jennifer :) we have really bonded recently, and I can't even put words to how much her friendship has uplifted me. i can be completely myself around her, and I feel totally at ease. i can't explain this one. but wow, i well up with praise to God every time i spend time with her.

i'll be heading home on friday :) can't wait for caroling and weekend get-togethers at my house and christmas movies and shopping and dawson's creek with arika. ;)

Bethany and I were talking today about how God desires us to remain flexible and moldable with him. when we begin to harden ourselves and yank back the reigns, it is often then that he gently breaks us of strongholds...and we come running back to him. yet he is always waiting with open arms. the everlasting prodigal's father. his mercy is new every morning. i'll close today with these lyrics by chris rice in his song "untitled hymn." mmm...these bring back some australia memories :)

"Now your burden's lifted and carried far away...
And precious blood has washed away the stain.
So sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus...sing to Jesus, and live.

OH and when the love spills over! And music fills the night...
And when you can't contain your joy inside,
Then dance for Jesus! Dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus...and live."

2006-10-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Life is precious.

I totalled my car on Thursday. It was raining hard, and I was on 35...I got off an exit ramp and immediately started hydroplaning...I panicked and overcorrected, my car did a 180, and it careened into the guardrail, smashing it twice. I remember seeing the guardrail coming, and I closed my eyes...when I opened them, there was blood everywhere...all from a tiny little cut on my finger, thank goodness. I don't remember much from this point on except crying a lot. A really nice family stopped on the side of the road and tried to calm me down, and they called the police. Eventually the cops got there with a firetruck and everything...my door was jammed and so they had to pull me out the other side. They strapped me to a stretcher in case of any internal injuries...I didn't like that too much...and then they hooked me up to oxygen on the way to the hospital.

After about 2 hours in the ER, It turns out that I'm completely fine except for a bump on the back of my head, a cut on my finger, and a LOT of sore muscles. My memory of that morning and afternoon was a little fuzzy for awhile, but it came back one bit at a time. Ben and Jess and Jill and Elizabeth came to pick me up at the hospital, and they were all really sweet...back in the dorm I found a heating pad and a note and a colored picture on my bed...my RA read me a bedtime story too. :) I am so taken care of and so loved.

It's a lot to think about. Everyone keeps saying how incredibly lucky I am - I should have been a LOT more hurt than I was. God saved me from so much. He still has a purpose for my life. I keep having strange thoughts...like I'll be walking to class and think, "Wow...I could so easily be in a wheelchair right now." It just really makes you reexamine your priorities. I just don't understand, though...God is so good, and I will never understand. He saved my life, and SO soon after the crash, I revert into my selfish, sinful habits. It's all about me, only a matter of hours after He protects me from death. I am so low, and He is so good, and I don't deserve it.

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfuless by night." Psalm 92:1-2

2006-10-14T00:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your encouraging comments after my last post. :) I get so excited whenever anyone writes on this thing...when I noticed that my comments had gone from 4 to 5 yesterday, I literally gasped out loud and broke into a HUGE smile. So sleep satisfied tonight, knowing your thought-provoking commentary has brought a glimmering smile to the lips of yours truly, Kaitlin Dunnevant.

Life is still weird and painful, but God never changes. That's something I've learned. If you feel lonely and start looking to relationships to fill the gap, you're not running after God's purpose for that season He has ordained in your life. He's ready to be your sufficiency. And to teach you...purify you...prepare you. Are you letting him? I've been reading in Numbers for Old Testament, and I've seen that despite God's faithfulness to the sovereign plan He had set up for the Israelites, their disobedience disrupted and slowed the carrying out of that plan. Are we going to continue to live in doubt and miss out on what God wants for us? When I am selfish and cling to bitterness or idolatry, I'm preventing Him from filling me completely and meeting my deepest needs...I'm blocking the perfect love of my Savior. Think about it.

Tonight was fun. Drove out to Young's to hang out in a corn maze, but it was closed...so we just drove around some back roads, looking at the BEAUTIFUL fall leaves. After a brief stop at "Kreuger's Korn Maze," where we were assaulted by a masked man with a chainsaw (WOW), we eventually ended up at Wal-Mart and played a few crazy games...came back and talked and hung out with the boys in my dorm room (hooray for open dorm nights)...then three words: TACO BELL RUN. Amazing. And we ended the evening with the movie Clueless. Gotta love it.

I leave Wednesday for fall break. :-D I'm so excited. You don't even know. It's going to be a great time of refreshment and reenergizing and rest (notice the alliteration). Can't wait to see my mom and dad and brother...and MOLLY!!! And I'll get to hang out with Katelyn for the first time since July. :-D And of course my love Arika. Meghan, are you coming home??? Haha.

Love ya'll.

2006-10-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Life is weird.

WEIRD.

Just when you think you've got everything figured out, everything blows up in your face and pieces scatter in completely RANDOM directions.

I mean...who would have guessed last year at this time how everything would have unfolded by October of sophomore year?

Wow.

I'm never assuming anything again.

2006-10-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today was your typical collegey day. It was hilarious, and FUN. All the leaves are turning, and it's about 70 degrees outside. Slightly chilly...blue sky. Jill and Cos and I went outside and did some homework on a blanket under a tree and just layed there soaking up the sun for awhile. Eventually we got hungry and decided to have a picnic, and we spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out what food we owned that we could actually EAT at a picnic. Cos realized he has some Raman noodles in his dorm room, which happened to be right by our picnic blanket. So he proceeded to throw boxes of noodles and macaroni and cheese out the window for us to choose between. Cos then dug up a plate and tried to serve us hard noodles with cheese powder on top. This is why men need women for guidance in life. We gave him instructions on how to cook macaroni and cheese, and as he heated everything up, he cranked up Moulin Rouge music - we danced in front of his dorm room window to the "So exciting...so delighting" song!! It was amazing. Now as I write this, we're lying on the blanket watching Moulin Rouge together and "doing homework."

I love Cedarville. :)

2006-09-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Oh the Cedarville life. :) It's been a great few weeks. Last weekend I drove the entire 8 hours home with a PACKED car - me, Bethany, Matt, Jill, and Jessica. We had crazy times - singing Broadway musicals and stealing each others' headrests, etc. Haha. This picture is us in my backyard!! We tailgated at a football game and went to see the movie "The Illusionist" and had a tea party and ate fondue and watched the Little Mermaid. Bethany and I had good sleepover time, and then we went to Einstein's and ordered chocolate chip bagels with peanut butter - my specialty. :) It was just a really nice, relaxing weekend. I always love it when my Cedarville friends are able to see where I grew up - it creates a new element of closeness, I think. And I always LOVE seeing my mom and dad. :-D Only about 4 weeks till fall break, when I get to see them again!

So I definitely dropped my cell phone in the toilet...yes. I'm not kidding. It's dead. Luckily it died right about when my family was scheduled to get cell phone upgrades (praise the Lord!), so my new phone is coming in the mail soon!!

Ha...and I also definitely set off the fire alarm in Chuck's. Yes. Also not kidding. Probably one of the more awkward times in my life. My backpack hit the door when I was taking it off. The big Chuck's guy comes running over yelling, "WHO TOUCHED THE DOOR!!!" and I was like, " *whimper* me?? *whimper* " They had to go get the campus administration to come turn the thing off. Awkward??? Yes, I think so.

I also managed to flick my hair tie across the room and onto a waiter's serving tray at Steak and Shake. That went over well. The entire table he was serving turned around and stared at me. So yes, the moral of the story is that Kaitlin's life is AWKWARD AND EMBARRASSING!! :)

Yet overall things are going well. :) 19.5 credit hours might as well be 5 billion - all the schoolwork is killing me!! I'm getting through it though. Pray for good time management skills. The Bible study I am leading started the other week, and that's going well. My girls seem really sweet and very open. My whole crew of people got to hang out at Elizabeth's for a weekend, and that was insane. We played Monkey Tag on a school playground and visited her church and stayed up watching movies. Jill and I have had many, MANY late night talks, and we've gotten so much closer even in a few weeks. I love her so much. I can tell her anything. Last night Jill and I went to Leslie's dad's house for the night, and it was AMAZING!!! I got to ride a four-wheeler around her backyard, and we played cornhole and four square in the rain, and her dad made us a fantastic chicken sandwhich dinner, and I got to see the show The Office for the first time (absolutely hilarious).

Basically, I am so lucky to be here with so many wonderful friends. I'm just so blessed. And thankful. I love having Matt at school - the other day we went to Beans and Cream and just sat there over coffee and talked for 2 hours. We just know each other so well. And Jessica's doing wonderfully - she's already little miss popular. :) I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to share college with my little sister. God is doing great things in my life - showing me how I AM finding my self-worth and then how I SHOULD be finding my self-worth. Breaking down my pride.

Amazing. Love ya'll

2006-08-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

:) This has been a fun 2 weeks. It feels good to be back. I've been so proud of myself - although I definitely miss home and my family and the summer, I'm completely content and excited about my circumstances. God is good. He has grown me so much since last year this time.

Ha - so I'm in this class called Intro to Conducting, and I was reading the chapter tonight and wanted to practice conducting in common time and 3 time...so I was standing in front of the mirror conducting to myself, and all of a sudden I realized how completely INSANE I must look to anyone walking by. All by myself in the room, in front of a mirror, thrashing my arms everywhere and singing "ta" over and over and over. This is going to be an interesting semester.

Well ladies and gents, my worlds have officially collided. I'm hanging out 24/7 with a big group of people including most of my close friends from last year AND matt ward and jessica stroup and megan hodges. Go figure, no? At first I was totally weirded out, but in a good way of course. I'm so excited they are hanging out with me so much. :)

Some highlights of the past 2 weeks -
*Australia reunion :) We watched videos we had taken over there, and it was amazing. Plus Tim Tams, of course
*Hanging out with my small group of freshmen - they were the best, and it was so rewarding to be able to encourage
*Eating at City Barbeque with Mel, Jess, Megan, Ryan, and Ben - hushpuppies and barbeque and taking crazy pictures
*Late night bowling (hence the above picture) - a REALLY fun time
*Visiting Midtown with the freshmen - wow do I love that church. Then eating broccoli cheddar soup at Panera with Bethany and talking for like 2 hours about everything in the world
*Eating ice cream at Mom's and Dad's ice cream shop with Jessica and catching up
*Visiting my Leslie in her room, and having her pop into mine :) I LOVE her
*Late night talks with Jill and crazy quotes of the day - Me as I LEAP out of bed at 2:00 a.m. - "I just remembered where my inhaler is!!!" Jill - "Uh...What inhaler?" "Oh. I mean my retainer."
*Matt making Heartsong. :)

God is so good. He really is. I'm learning right now a little about pride - my roommate got me thinking about it when she was broken of her pride a few days ago, and I've just started noticing so many areas where I puff myself up and find my self-value in what I can do or what my image is, thinking I'm self-sufficient rather than realizing that all my worth comes from God. My voice is not mine, first of all. It's the Lord's. And so many other things...Anyway. Love ya'll. Thanks for your prayers. I'll update again soon.

2006-08-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well here I am - back at Cedarville. :) After many sad goodbyes, my parents and I left on Monday morning. And guess who transported me there? Well...me. ;) In my lovely Saturn, Henry, who will be staying with me at school this year. I'm so excited!! And driving the 8 hours wasn't too bad at all - I don't think I'll have much trouble with it this year. My parents gave me a good laugh though - despite my flawless driving record (which I'm very proud of), I think they still have trouble trusting me. :) I remember passing a large sign that said "Caution - curvy roads ahead." Next thing I know, there is dad on the walky-talky saying, "Alright Kaitlin, there are curvy roads ahead, watch out." Thank you, Dad. I can read. :) Nah - I really didn't care - I just found him very amusing.

Settling back into dorm life has been rather fun. My room is all set up and cute...pictures everywhere...and it's BIG. HOLY WOW. I went from the smallest possible room on campus (Printy unit room B) to the largest possible room on campus (Willets South) in one year. And boy does it make a difference. Wow - even the showers are huge! I can shave in there without getting stuck! Haha...Anyway. Saying goodbye to my parents was sad, and I shed a tear or two, but surprisingly I am very okay with being back. Excited. Ready. The Lord is good. I have become so much more independent in the last year, with His help.

Getting Started Weekend leader training has been pretty good so far. Elizabeth has been my buddy, and it's been great catching up with her. We're learning all kinds of stuff about how to be good small group leaders. Today they drove us out to Columbus for a "bonding day," which included a huge high ropes course and a bunch of group game activities. The high ropes course was very challenging for me - I think I'm becoming increasingly more afraid of heights - but I pushed myself and conquered my anxiety. At one point, three friends and I were in the middle of a "challenge" that included walking across a cable line with two people blindfolded and only two hands allowed to touch the rope at a time...can we say OH MY WORD...and I finally went to step onto the platform. As I stepped, my kneecap proceeded to twist completely out of its socket. It flipping HURT. After being frozen in pain for a few seconds, I jerked my leg in the opposite direction, and it slid right back into its socket. But wow was it an experience. I immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and my vision started blurring, and I became extremely lightheaded. Everything was shimmering...not sure what that was about. It was very out-of-body. I had to struggle to keep from passing out, up in the trees. Eventually I was able to climb down to the ground, but I had to stop and take many breaks, and then the guy had to valet me down the ladder because I couldn't make it myself. Luckily, I am back to normal. And alive. Hope that makes you happy?

Pray for me as I minister to these freshmen. I really am passionate and excited to serve, love, and comfort these students as Jesus would. I remember how incredibly upset and discouraged and scared I was at this point last year, and I just want to HELP them Pray for opportunities and for energy, as I carry a lot of heavy stuff in the heat. Love ya'll.

2006-08-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

I definitely just beat my dad at foosball, 10-6. My life is officially complete.

It's 6:45 - in 15 minutes, we're having a cookout for college kids at my house. :) Hamburgers, hotdogs, s'mores, pasta salad, chocolate eclair cake, and all my best Richmond buddies. Could life get much better?? :) Afterwards we're going to see "Step Up" in the theater. I hope it's good, because I'm broke.

I leave Monday. It's Friday. I'm definitely feeling that anxious dread in my stomach. I know once I get there, I'll be fine. I'll be happy. It's just the leaving part. I hate endings, I really do. More than anything. I'm going to be hopelessly sentimental for the next 2 weeks - I guarantee it. Thinking back on movie nights at Meghan's, dinners out with my family, driving on Three Chopt late at night with the windows down, meeting Meredith for lunch, Wendy's after church, sleepovers with my girls. I get like this every time. It's ridiculous.

I'll try to update again before I take off on my grand sophomore adventure...

2006-08-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Pretty, huh? :) Maine was fantastic. We've been to this campground every other summer since I was a baby, and each time we arrive I always feel like I'm home. When we leave for another 2 years, I want to cry. It's like this place is ingrained deep inside me. Kinda hard to explain.

Every morning I'd wake up slowly and saunter over to Nana's camper, where she had been fixing blueberry pancakes for breakfast. We'd sit around and chat in our pj's and then eventually decide to go get ready for the beach...we'd wander down to the sand and sit there for hours and hours, reading and floating and kayaking. Evenings? Lobster. Chicken. Italian subs. And then my favorite part - campfires. :) I love the smell of smoke in the air, and the crackle of the fire...and even the the way we had to carry flashlights to the bathroom to brush our teeth before bed. This is so you don't trip over a tree root and step in a puddle. Which I did. Of course. Sigh. Time to go back? I vote yes.

TRUST. Such a small word and a relatively simple concept, but I can count on one hand the number of people I know who have truly learned to apply it. I've been wrestling with this for about 2 weeks now, and the Lord has been teaching my stubborn heart slowly. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS...what will my group of friends be like this year? Should I stick with my major? Should I really audition for Heartsong? And if I make it, what will next summer be like? Will anything ever be the same in Richmond? Next year at this time, will anything at home be like it was? Will my friends have moved on and drifted slightly apart, consumed with new lives? And then here are some tough ones...Does the Lord have someone out there for me to marry? If He does, will I be ready when I meet him? Or will I be so in bondage to selfishness and sinful habits that I miss him? Or wait a minute...could God have a life of singleness planned for me? Oh the dread in my stomach over that question...

And what does God answer, you ask?

"...Be still and know that I am God...Trust in me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge me, and I will make your path straight...For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future...You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart..."

I can trust Him. Whatever He has planned, even if I wouldn't choose it for myself, HE KNOWS BEST. And if I'm on HIS path, I will be at peace and full of joy and content in Him. No matter what happens and what trials and discomfort and sadness I face, He will be there holding my hand. And He will complete the good work He has started in me. His power is made perfect in my weakness.

Please pray that I will continue learning and applying this lesson with all my strength. More to come later! :)

2006-07-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

well today is packing day. i leave tomorrow morning to go up to lancaster, pennsylvania for matt watson's wedding. :) i can't believe he's getting married. in the words of jessica drennon, "women everywhere should be crying." haha. but man, what a beautiful wedding it's going to be. and matt and ashley are PERFECT for each other. i can't wait. after the wedding i leave immediately for a week in maine with my family. we'll be going to dummer's beach, the same campsite i've been to every other summer since i was a baby, and staying in a camper for a week. the week shall be filled with much swimming and paddle-boating, lots of campfires and roasting marshmallows, and my nana's excellent cooking. i'm excited to be able to spend 8 whole days with JUST my family, catching up with them.

only 3 more weeks until i go back to cedarville for sophomore year. crazy, no? i've started to feel that panicky feeling in my stomach, but i need to change perspective. going back is a chance to grow and to encourage - and God will take care of me just like He did last year. i can trust Him. do any of you ever feel like you're wasting time? that you could be so much more serious about the Lord and that the time you're lukewarm and undedicated has gone to waste? i am determined to give the Lord 100% for these last 3 weeks of my summer. He deserves it. i want to encourage the friends and family He has given me in richmond, i want to serve, i want to pray, and i want to read my Bible more. this is my goal.

talk to ya'll when i return. :)

2006-07-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

well hey there. just got back yesterday from BEACH WEEKEND 2006!!! woo hoo! my three best girls and i went to nagshead in north carolina for friday, saturday, and sunday, and boy did we have crazy times.

we began the weekend by dressing up like cows and going to chick-fil-a, hoping they would give us free breakfast. and they did. :) they liked us a LOT. we got free chick-fil-a calendars and stuffed cows and everything! notice my udder. yep. very clever, if i do say so myself.

and then we took off...in my dad's hot car. :) and yes, i did drive. stop laughing. i did fine!!! no tickets - no accidents!!

and after a three hour drive, we arrived at our hotel in the outer banks. FREEDOM!!! many good times ensued. chasing after hot guys in my car, playing intense two-on-two football on the beach, two trips to sonic, going out for kate's birthday and making friends with our fun waiter dave, picking up hot guys on kayaks, ...wait what? me?? yes. ;) katelyn and i decided to ask if we could go for a ride. and we did. :) here is a picture of me falling over backwards off the kayak. yes. i am ridiculously NOT smooth.

hehe. :) we went clubbing one night...that was interesting. underage club - don't worry. i had fun showing off my pathetic dancing skills!!! :) it's funny because i really ENJOY dancing, even though i'm terrible at it. but anyway, i really didn't like the atmosphere of the club. it felt icky. i doubt i'll go again. but i did like dancing with my buddies!!! the next night we got all dressed up and went out to dinner...kate and i ordered a strawberry dacquiri that definitely did NOT come back virgin. don't worry...i gave it back. :) and no one could have drunk it with meghan around anyway...she hid it behind a menu! we went to a souvenir shop called Wings and played hide and seek in the aisles for quite awhile, as arika chased us around the store with a plastic shark. you know. the usual. OH!! and i got a tatoo!!!!!!! it's a little rose, on my ankle.

ok ok, so it's just a henna tatoo.

anyway. :) basically i love my girls. a LOT. what a great weekend.

2006-07-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Can't we travel back a few years, just for awhile?

Drink up a forgotten permanence?

I long to drive the streets with you,

to feel the sun on my face and turn up the stereo,

To laugh and confide and then crash on my couch,

safe from the icy pricks of a coming goodbye

A quick shadow slips across my countenance

and a biting wind cuts through summer's warmth

Our time sentenced to interruption,

shoved aside by new lives and fresh pursuits

I just want more time -

I just miss you.

2006-07-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

we had a surprise birthday party for jessica drennon at my house last night. :) it was great fun. i got to be sneaky...good thing i have arika in my life as THE ultimate example of sneakiness, or i'd be at a loss. anyway...meredith and jessica stroup and i took her out to bruster's for ice cream, and she thought that was the end of it...but little did she know that meredith and i had other plans up our sleeves. unfortunately, however, we finished our ice cream way too early and had some MAJOR stalling to do. i literally was like, "let's go for a drive! i feel like a drive!!" to save some time. but everything worked out in the end. jessica was VERY surprised and very happy. :) we watched "the butterfly effect" - i highly recommend it. it's very disturbing and very creepy but it REALLY makes you think. haha after everyone went home, i had to walk downstairs in the dark to get something to drink, and i was totally psyching myself out. what a nerd i am. but anyway. happy birthday jessica. :) man...i love that girl. she is sunshine in my life. i love her enthusiasm for the lord, her voice, her sense of humor, and...well just everything about her. what a blessing. she deserved way more than we could give her.

i babysat again the other day for a 5 year old and a 3 year old. they decided that i was the "lava monster." so i proceeded to chase them around their backyard, roaring and waving a plastic gun. but pretty soon i was informed that plastic guns are actually the lava monster's great weakness...and so i began to die. in the process i tripped over the edge of their sandbox and fell flat on my face. AND ripped half my toenail off (sorry for that gross image). as you can imagine, this amused them greatly. but hey, i got $20 out of it!!! no...i really did have fun though. they're precious kids. :)

please be praying that i find a way to make some money during the rest of this summer!! i'd really appreciate your prayers. and pray that i allow God to continually teach me new things - right now he's showing me that i need to make myself vulnerable sometimes and avoid being isolated in my sin. hard lesson to learn! just keep me in your prayers. :) thanks ya'll.

2006-07-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

so i've been told that my profile picture doesn't represent who i "really am." i've been warned that i might get weird posts from random gangster people online who find this blog. and you know, i think it's true - my gangster imitation IS very believable - i mean...notice the little duckies on my shirt. now THAT is hardcore. and then of course there's my expression of uncompromising toughness. i think a lot of people could be fooled. any feedback on this? should i change my picture?

i just got back yesterday afternoon from 3 days in north carolina at the beach. we had a great time. it was nice to just relax with my family. we went out to eat twice, had beautiful weather, played games at night, saw superman. i played football on the beach with my dad and cousin, and dad taught me how to play racquetball...oh man. boy am i bad at that game. the best part was the fourth of july - we brought our beach chairs down on the sand about an hour before the fireworks were about to start, and within minutes there were TONS of people swarming all over the beach. americans of all nationalities. everyone had fireworks and sparklers and glow sticks, and as the sun went down they just started going off in every direction. lights everywhere. we sang a bunch of patriotic songs and just listened to the ocean and the crackling of the fireworks. there was this big asian family next to where our beach chairs were set up, and it made me so happy to watch them getting so excited about america just like we were. it was just a very american experience. i am so patriotic...i guess i get it from my dad. but wow. how lucky are we to live in AMERICA, where we are free? where liberty and democracy and equality form the foundation of our society? what a great nation, and what a noble history. yes, she has many faults, but that's where prayer comes in. thank the lord for our great country this fourth of july if you haven't already.

i started reading "a voice in the wind" by francine rivers, which is absolutely fantastic. i highly recommend it. it's a book about a girl growing up as a slave in rome during the time period right after paul's death, during the gladiator fights and christian persecution. there's romance and a LOT of violence (boys...you'd like this book too), and it has made the bible come to life in my heart so much as i think back on scripture i've read. when i put the book down to stop reading, i can't get it out of my mind. i read it during the car ride home from the beach yesterday and i was actually disappointed when we pulled into our driveway because i didn't want to close it and get out of the car quite yet. yep...it's one of those. :) read "a voice in the wind" if you want to challenge your faith.

catch ya'll later.

2006-07-05T14:44:00.001-07:00

well hey. :) so...i have a blog now? yep. i decided to get rid of my xanga. your prayers would be appreciated as i grieve my loss. it was a big life decision...i tossed and turned about this one, believe me. anyway...i decided to use blogspot merely so that YOU, my little journal-reader, can comment freely without having to possess an account of your own. come one, come all.

so basically, you should comment a lot. because it makes me really happy. :)

i'll update in more detail later!!!