Testing testing... Is this thing even on?

Ya'll, I'm finally sitting down to breathe after 2 lonnnnngggggg days of wedding prep. I'm so tired, but it's a great tired. Trust me!

Many folks commented that I went into this week pretty prepared with all the details and I can honestly say yes... to the big details. But man oh man, those little details are the devil!

For example... Finding out you're short silverware once you start rolling them. Finding out there are a million and one ways to arrange the barn for efficiency. Finding out that your allergies really really hate you when you lay down that thick layer of hay.

But we are seeing some great things come together! We found that we didn't have to use as much hay for the barn floor. The white tulle looks fantabulous  against the rustic wood and lights. That "W" hanging on the wall just makes me squeal.

I promise to provide pitchas for the next few days... I just wanted to check in with ya'lls lovely faces. So tell me... What have ya'll been up to this week??

Happiest of Friday's!

Happy Friday my little chickens! Can I just throw this out there?

 

The world IS actually spinning faster.

 

Seriously. I have decided this and therefore, it is true.

 

But seriously, ya'll, this week flew by so dang fast that it actually doesn't feel like Friday to me. I'm certainly not complaining because I'll be off all next week to get things ready for...

 

OUR WEDDING NEXT SATURDAY!!!!

 

Have I annoyed ya'll yet with my wedding craze? I haven't? Oh good, because it's only 8 days away. So 8 more days of me badgering the heck outta ya'll + recaps that will surely come afterwards. Ya'll just wait.

 

All wedding things aside for a moment, Hunter and I have some fun things planned for this weekend:

 

one: Tallahassee has what's called the Downtown Getdown each Friday that FSU has a home game. Basically it's a huge neighborhood block party where people and local vendors all come together to mingle. Most do it over their love of FSU's football (gag); I go for the food and beer #sorrynotsorry. Tonight, Chase Rice will be singing at the DTGD which I'm a bit excited about!

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two: Tomorrow, me and Hunter, along with a couple of our friends, will be meeting up for lunch and then the punnnnnkkkiiinnnn patch (pumpkin patch for those who don't understand squeals)!! We need pumpkins of all sizes and other fall decorations for our wedding. I can't wait.

 

three: Also tomorrow, Hunter and I will be celebrating the marriage of some of our friends at their shower. It's kind of nice to see the roles reversed ha! But these friends of ours are absolute gems. Anna will actually be singing in our wedding, and her fiancé Sam is our DJ for the reception. Love ya'll!

 

four: This sounds horrible, but thank God Auburn has a bye week. After last week's horrific loss to Miss State (which I fully believe Auburn deserved to lose that game because they looked like a high school football team out there #truthhurts), my nerves just can't even deal right now with another loss. Ya'll, I was so sick of that game that I stopped watching the game for about 30 minutes to go pull weeds out of the yard. Seriously....

 

five: I mentioned it yesterday but Hunter and I are #msabc on Sunday!

 

I hope ya'll have a fabulous weekend! I will be around next week with some posts and answering emails so feel free to stop on by!

 



#MSABC

This coming Sunday, Hunter and I along with hundreds of other folks, will be participating in the local 5k of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (#MSABC). This event and cause is something that is very near and dear to mine and Hunter's hearts. We're doing this walk in honor of Hunter's grandmother, who lost her fight to cancer October 9, 2011. She fought breast cancer and other forms of cancer for many years.

We're also making these strides for Hunter's aunt Leslie, who has battled and defeated breast cancer a couple of times. You go aunt Leslie! You tell that cancer to shove it where the sun don't shine.

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Hunter isn't usually very chipper when it comes to working out but he has been more than excited for this Sunday to come. We're even going as far as buying him a pink shirt, pink accessories for the both of us, and just pinkin' it out ya'll. Be sure to check it out on Instagram!

 

We're so excited to also have some of our closest friends by our sides as we make this trek (hi Brooke, Cody, Jessie, and Kate!). We're part of the Midtown Junior Women's club team essentially, but in reality, we're all on the same team to kick breast cancer in the buttocks.

 

In honor of this month being Breast Cancer Awareness month, I leave you with this...

 

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Real Talk Time

First and foremost, I want to say thank you so so much to all of the sweet words and prayers for Lindsey. Ya'll have no idea how much those little things mean.

 

Okay (claps hands), now for the fun stuff.

 

Ya'll know I'm all about transparency. I believe in allowing (and owning up to) your flaws to be known to those around you. By being real up front, people may be a little less harsh on you for your mistakes. I do feel that Christians are constantly placed into fish bowls and monitored 24/7 by society and their peers, just waiting for them to mess up. Heck, look at Tim Tebow. He is scrutinized almost daily for his faith.

 

With that being said, I'm real on this blog. What you see is who I am everyday. It's like I've always told people, I am who I am. If you don't like it, not really my problem. I'm only here to please one person and that's the Big Man Upstairs. So what I'm about to share with ya'll is who I am. It's my struggle. It's my flaw.

 

I'm the type of person where I will trust you wholeheartedly from the get go. Stupid? Possibly. I'm also that person that if you completely null and void that trust with me, you will never get the full trust back from me. You become an arms-length relationship where basically I have forgiven you, I have moved past the issue, but I will not forget what you did. Not as a grudge to hold over your head. But just as a precautionary so that the next time that that trust is ruined (if, it doesn't always happen), I won't be hurt like I was before.

 

It's my defense mechanism.

 

So here's my struggle, and my question for ya'll. Is that wrong of me to have an arms-length relationship with someone and say that I want to love like Jesus? Because Jesus loved and still loves and will love regardless of how many times that trust is broken. I just studied a chapter in Nehemiah that perfectly demonstrates that relationship: we're constantly breaking that trust but by God's grace alone and Jesus' death on the cross, we are forgiven.

 

I've had more conversations with Hunter about this than I care to count. He is, after all, my voice of reason and he's always turning to the bible for answers. Hunter has encouraged me to pray about it because that is something that I wrestle with daily. I have certain friends that I keep at arms-length. I have certain family members that I keep at arms-length.

 

The spirit side of my soul says hey, dodo brain, if you want to love like Jesus you need to put that outstretched arm down and really love them. Then the flesh/human side of my soul says nah, you don't want to get burned again.

 

So where do I draw the line in the sand? If I keep certain folks at arms-length distance then have I really truly forgiven like Jesus would want me to? I feel like I have forgiven, though, and that's where my problem lies. The struggle is real ya'll.

 

I know I need to pray about it, and I will. I need to have faith that I can trust God to take this over and do with it as He sees fit. Funny, isn't it? I have to trust Him wholeheartedly to know that He's got this, and not keep Him at an arms-length distance. Ha! What an epiphany!!

It's been one of those days

Ya'll, I had a great post planned for today. It's all about real talk, transparency, and admitting to my own flaws. And I can promise you that that will go out, probably tomorrow because hey, I need some advice and constructive criticism.

 

My heart was called to put up something different today. With Jep waking me up at 5:00 this morning to go to the bathroom, not being able to fall back to sleep only to get up and find that Jep decided to throw a party with full vacuum bag of dust, dirt, God knows what else. And then there was this...

 

 

What do ya'll think I did? I opened it. Yep... I'm that girl in the horror movies that stupidly walks into a dark room where the mad axer is waiting to chop me into a million little pieces, even though all signs clearly point to don't do it!

 

And then there's something else that's been going on in my life.

 

 

Early Saturday morning, I woke to find out that my sweet lifelong friend, Lindsey, had a seizure the night before. She has bleeding on the brain (that the doctors think has stopped - blessed Jesus), and is currently in the hospital very very heavily sedated.

 

Mom and I spent time at the hospital with her family, visiting with Lindsey for just a minute (she had to be rushed back out to do more MRI's). We're rejoicing in the fact that when she came to very briefly that she recognized my mom and I. We're rejoicing in the fact that the doctors have only found bleeding on the outside of the brain rather than inside the brain. We're rejoicing in the fact that God is so damn good because she was with her parents, eating dinner at Sonny's, less than a mile from the emergency room.

 

I have spent this weekend staying busy. I won't allow myself to slow down because when I do, I think of her and I begin to cry because I think of all the what if's. Ya'll, I watched this girl grow up. This girl played dress up with me and her sisters. She has the voice of an angel and loves God with her whole heart.

 

Heck, she won the toilet paper bridal dress game at my bridal shower just 2 weeks ago. I'd like to think all our time playing dress up had something to do with that.

 

 

Ya'll, please please please pray for my sweet Linds. I don't care what faith you believe in, I don't care where your walk with Jesus is, just pray to God that she will be okay. I need this girl in my life like some kind of fierce.

 

With all of this going on, I can't help but thank Emily for her wisdom and grace to embrace each day and moment as they come. In these heartbreaking moments, I'm so grateful for my God. I'm so grateful that He was with Lindsey in those moments that were bleak. I'm beyond grateful that He is still with her as she is recovering. And He is so good to be giving the strength that her family and friends need to get through this.

 

It's moments like those that make me so grateful for friends. Last night, I had my bachelorette dinner at the Melting Pot with my girlfriends and the women in my family. We laughed until we cried. We toasted with champagne to the coming days. We ate delicious fondue until we were sick.

 

I needed that.

 

I almost called off last night but then realized I needed that time to unwind. So to the beautiful women who kept my mind busy last night, you will never know how much that meant to me. I truly love each and every one of you more than words can say. Now I've got to go find some tissues to stop the tears. Thanks a heap... :) 

 



Happy 16th Birthday ChaSha

Today marks a very important day in the life of my little sister. Today is the day that she can claim she's old enough to drive, cool enough to rock those hater shades in her swanky wheels, and mature enough to get a job to pay for those swanky wheels #truthhurts.

 

For those who are new to these parts, Erin is my youngest sibling that I honestly forget that she is adopted. She's our little China doll, clothes-swapping, country music listening, life-loving sister that I have been so blessed to know and love.

 

Erin, thank you for the laughs, memories, and most importantly, thank you for allowing me to be your big sister. God has blessed us tremendously as a family, and I cannot wait to watch Him work through you in this life. Love you to the moon and back ChaSha.

 

I had to bring out the good ole pitchas from back in the day...

 

 

 



 



Be a local tourist: Mission San Luis

Before I jump into today's lecture, kids, I want to bring up the fact that it is going to be 90 degrees today. Did you read that correctly? 90. I still wore my leggings, tunic, and boots despite the sweltering heat because hey, I'm a rebel like that.

 

Also, one other note... Hunter and I finished our last session of premarital counseling last night and we're nailing down the process of how the big day is going to go!!! ::squeal::

 

Okay now to the important stuff right? On Monday, I mentioned very briefly that Hunter and I paid a visit to a local historical site here in Tallahassee. It's one of those things where you know it's there, have no idea what it's really like, but then beyond amazed once you actually go.

 

Mission San Luis is an area in Tallahassee that was once home to the Spanish settlers and the Apalachee Indians. The history behind their stories of coming together to create a better community is just fascinating. If you're a local Tallahasseean and you haven't been there... GO. I'm serious, it's just that neat. Unless you don't like history, then in that case you're not American. (I kid...)

 

If you're ever visiting our neck of the woods, be sure to stop in and visit the Mission. You won't be disappointed.

 

And now, the honorable photo dump.

 

This is the Mission's Civic Center

 

Inside the Civic Center

The Governor's home

The fort

Inside the fort

My new boyfriend 

Hunter is getting a lesson on how to throw the spear thingy

My future home

Inside the church

The entryway to the Mission



Some tidbits

Last week, Rebecca with The Adventures of Bug and Boo tagged me for some random bits of information to share with ya'll. I love sharing (and hearing) all about the different things that makes each one of us unique. So here it goes!

 

one: I'm 26 years old and the oldest of 4 kids: my 2 biological brothers and then my adopted sister. If ya'll check back in here on Friday, I'll have all things blackmail loving about my sweet sister who is turning 16!

 

look at that sass!

 

two: Never have I ever... smoked a cigarette or done any form of drugs. Call me miss goody goody but that stuff just never appealed to me. Plus, I had to grow up very young and knew I had A LOT to lose if I decided to test the legal limits.

 

three: I actually cannot stand people who claim to be holy-art-thou Christians. Hear me out... From my experience, those type of folks are typically the most judgmental, hateful, hypocritical, and just downright not living the example they should. It's like I've said to some of these folks (yes, to their face), no wonder people hate Christians! I love the people who claim to be broken, sinners, and human, yet they rely on a God much greater and stronger than they ever will be. Long story short: be transparent people.

 

four: In the summer months, I love love an ice cold beer. In the winter months, jack and coke are my good friends.

 

five: I realized the other day all the new and different things I have tried since I started dating my adorable redneck:

• deer meat
• gizzards
• liver
• Vienna sausages (I'm sorry, that's just straight cat food)
• wild hog
• shooting a gun
• hunting (and actually liking it)
• not worrying what others think about you.

six: Very rarely will you ever see me drink hot coffee. If I order hot coffee, a lot of times I will let it just sit and get to room temperature. I'm weird, I know.

 

seven: Hunter and I both very much want to be parents someday. Both to our own biological children and to adopted children. If we aren't able to conceive, ain't nothin but a thang. We'll just adopt all of our children. Once our kids are grown and the majority of them out of the house, I would love to be foster parents.

 

 

 

eight: I am exactly 17 days away from marrying my absolute best friend. 





Days like these

Top of the mornin' to ya'll! Did ya'll just have a great weekend?? I sure did - between the beautiful weather, spending time with friends, and getting things ready for the wedding...

 

 

Isn't it cute?! My sister-in-law to-be helped me stencil the words on this palette and ta da! We make a good team. If you look close enough, behind the palette you'll see some cotton sticking up. Yep, those bad boys are going to make their grand debut at the reception too. It's all coming together!

 

Saturday night, Hunter and I stayed in and watched Auburn spank some LSU tiger bootay. For all my football loving freaks like me, wasn't it great with all those upsets?! Anyways, the boys just couldn't hang with us...

 

Yes, Jep is laying his head on Manny's

 

We were able to spend time with friends this weekend and it was so much fun being able to stuff our faces with food, spend time around a fire, and just laugh hysterically over anything and everything. It makes my soul so happy!

 

Here's another picture of my precious baby... #ilovemypit

Saturday morning, Hunter, his dad, his sister, and I all went to a local historical mission site - Mission San Luis. I'll have a post later on in the week about this place with tons of pitchas but it was way cool! We're history buffs so we love this kind of stuff...

 

 

Happy Monday friends!