mid-week randoms

I’m linking up with Megan today.

{one}

Classes start today. I kind of love the beginning of new semesters.

{two}

I’m still going through Kelly Minter’s Ruth study with Eleanor. On Sunday I read ahead slightly and was stopped by Ruth 4:14…”Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today...’” Wow! What a needed reminder that was!

{three}

Ben Rector has a new album out. Go buy it! I’m going to see him in Atlanta over my fall break and he’s seriously one of my favorites.

{four}

Getting to have dinner and hang out with my roomies from last year was the best.

Trying to get a group photo is harder than it looks…

We’re fun. Be our friends? ;)

Happy Wednesday, friends.

Roadtrippin’ {Biltmore}

Merry Christmas Eve, sweet girls! Last week my mom and I went to Waynesville and Asheville, North Carolina on a girls trip. My dad was out of town so we figured we should take a short trip to get away too! Since my grandparents live in Waynesville we went there first before going to Biltmore in Asheville the following day.

Back roads on the way there.

When we got to my grandparents we decided to spend the evening in downtown Waynesville. The downtown district was decorated for Christmas with lights and garland on every streetlight and there were Christmas trees in every store. I just love the quaintness of small towns.

My mom chatting it up with the owner of one of the stores…how cute is she?

My grandma was taking an extra long time in one store so we took pictures…

We woke up slowly the next morning…cozy mornings in the mountains are the best.

I so wish I had taken pictures as we were driving into Biltmore…after you enter the gates you drive 2-3 miles before getting to the estate. The land was just gorgeous.

My dad called right before we got out of the car and had lots to talk about so I took pictures (of course) to pass time…

Finally we were off to tour the house! And oh my goodness was it GRAND. I hadn’t been to Biltmore since I was in second grade and there were many many details I had forgotten. The house was decked to the halls (is that even an expression?) with Christmas decorations. I felt like I was in an episode of Downton Abbey as we explored. As we walked, I kept trying to imagine what it must have been like to live there in the early 1900s.

Unfortunately, they don’t allow you to take pictures inside the house so the few pictures I do have are from outside.

The pictures don’t do these mountains justice. You see them through almost every window in the house. Gloriousness.

I so so wish I could have taken pictures in the house, but you’ll just have to trust me that it was majestic. I love days like these and I’m so thankful I get to go on adventures with my mom. We headed back to Waynesville that evening and crashed after walking all day. Despite the graininess, now you know what I look like sans make up and such. :)

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We drove back home the next day in the pouring rain and then my dad came home after the rain stopped but cold temperatures ushered in…we made him a welcome home sign.

Wishing you all the merriest of Christmases!

Life Lately {Fall Break}

As I sit here and reflect back over the past four days I am just so full. I had the sweetest fall break spent at home. Although classes were cancelled last Thursday and Friday, I had to hang around to work Thursday afternoon. As soon as I got off work, I met up with Kelsie to head home. The short drive home was just what I needed….windows rolled down, radio turned up, and an explosion of fall colors. We spent Thursday night relaxing.

We slept in Friday morning and woke up rested before spending the afternoon in town. Kelsie and I went to Blue Ridge, Georgia to explore a few local thrift stores. We each scored some awesome pieces and the best part is I don’t think I spent more than $12! It was a gorgeous fall afternoon and we drove the back roads to get home. We rolled the windows down and sang loudly to this and this. When we got back home we went on a walk in my neighborhood to admire all the fall leaves. I wish I could accurately describe to you the amount of joy I felt that afternoon.

Friday night was wonderful as well. My dad started a fire so we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores (so yummy!). Later we sat in the rocking chairs on the front porch and talked for nearly two hours. The night air was chilly and we each bundled up underneath a blanket. I’m so thankful for my friendship with Kelsie because she continually points me back to Christ. Our friendship truly is rooted in Him.

I spent all of Saturday hanging out with my parents and my grandfather came up that night. It was so refreshing to just spend time with all of them. On Sunday, more extended family came over for the afternoon. The second photo below is of my mom and her sister…the last photo is of my parents and I.

Although I didn’t want to leave on Sunday afternoon, I came back to school refreshed. This break came at the exact time I needed it and I’m grateful for every second of it. It was just so so good. Now, I’m ready to finish the remainder of the semester strong.

Currently

Fun moments with one of my roomies! Don’t you wish you lived with us? Ha!

Reading The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis and The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy.

Writing this post…

Listening to the rustling leaves and traffic right outside my open window.

Thinking about the human biology that I’m avoiding studying for. My textbook and all my flash cards are strewn across my bed, but I can’t find the motivation to sit down for a long enough duration. Bleh.

Wishing that the leaves would have a full explosion of colors. The seasonal change seems delayed this year and I’m missing all the reds, oranges, and yellows.

Watching this video. The lyrics get me every single time.

Loving that my fall break is this weekend! I get to spend time with a sweet friend and my family. Pure happiness.

Wanting to score some awesome finds when I go thrift shopping with my friend and mom on Friday. It truly is the little things. :)

Needing to work on the two papers I have due next week instead of pouring all of my “writing creativity” into this post…

Feeling thankful for the friendships in my life. I never would have imagined the phenomenal girls I would be blessed to know this time a year ago!

P.S. This photo has a backstory…

Last Saturday, a local frozen yogurt place had a competition that the first 20 people in line would receive free frozen yogurt every day for the next month. Kelsie (one of my close friends) and I were all for that so we decided to give it a try! Well, we were numbers 17 and 18 in line. Hooray! While we were waiting in line we met this sweet boy who entertained us the entire time. Also, I’ve now had frozen yogurt every day since Friday.

Candid Moments

I was looking through the photos I have saved on my computed and I realized that I have lots of candid photos. These moments make me smile and flood my mind with memories of the moment they were captured. Some are as recent as this summer while others date back to my sophomore year of high school. I hope you enjoy these!

This was taken on my 16th birthday! My birthday was during the same week as youth camp and I was thrown a surprise party after service that night. It was completely unexpected and I promise you that I was much happier than I look!

I know this looks posed, but I assure you that it's not. I don't have the slightest idea how we all managed to have these faces...I'm in the middle on the bottom (if you couldn't tell).

This one is posed...it's the picture that we were aiming to get above. I only included it to show that the picture before was indeed a candid. 

I can't help but laugh at how crazy I look in this one! I was having a little too much fun in a bounce house when this photo was captured.

This one was taken during a lunch period...it was either 11th or 12th grade. I love all the different facial expressions.

During a field trip to Skate World, I let one of my second graders hold my camera for a while. She captured this one of me and three of my sweet girls skating around the rink.

I ADORE this picture. One of the best parts about my externship was the friendship I developed with the student teacher, Joy. We forged a friendship during the time we spent together with our class of second graders and we still talk today! This photo was snapped during her goodbye party and it's completely candid. It looks staged, but it's not. (Side note: Joy teaches middle school in La Paz, Bolivia now and you can check out her blog here.)

This was taken during a picnic last fall at the start of my freshman year in college. It was a gorgeous day spent with new friends...I'm the one in the red dress.

Earlier this summer, I went thrift shopping with my parents. At one store, I found my dad dozing off in a recliner...I guess we went to one too many stores for him! As soon as I was about to snap the photo, one of his eyes opened. Stinker!

Oh, my mom makes me laugh! We went to Dollywood earlier this summer and she attempted to entertain me as we waited in line. In result, I captured this.

I already shared these photos here, but I just wanted to share this one again. It's purely candid and makes me smile at how silly we look!

These were taken the same night as these. My mom had control of my camera and many candids were taken. These two make me laugh because of how goofy I look and I can't remember at all what I was trying to explain to her. I was very intent though!