A Year in Review

On my old blog, I did a post at the end of each year highlighting what I had done in the previous year. Really, it's just a nice way to be able to quickly look back at what has been going on. Since I don't keep many traditions from my old blog, I decided I'd implement this one.

• 2012 IN REVIEW •

January:

In January, I had the bright idea to cut off all my hair. In case you've forgotten, my hair used to be incredibly long. In October of 2011, I decided to cut off a little (8 inches). Since that wasn't as traumatic as it could have been, I decided to go the extra mile and chop it all off. It was undoubtedly the second-worst hair idea I'd ever had. The first being the bowl cut era.

February:

Though still mourning the loss of my beloved hair, I did my best to make it work for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. Needless to say, it was all kinds of wonderful. My new husband knows me so well, and he planned a much-needed getaway for us. Also, I started this blog!

March:

This month started out pretty epicly, when my Great White macbook started to die. My ever-loving and Apple-supporting husband insisted that we get me a new computer. But, one trip to the Cool Springs Apple Store later and we're both the owners of brand new iPads (because hello, that's cheaper than one computer for me!). My precious husband spoils me so much! Also during the month of March, we had our annual gospel meeting at EH and I got to know an amazing speaker, brother Jimmy Clark! We also started taping three new programs for the Gospel Broadcasting Network, and that meant that I got to meet/know a little better two amazing, godly men: Cliff Goodwin & Chris Clevenger. From the moment they were introduced to mine and Robert's life on a regular basis, it has truly made all of the difference.

April:

April was one of my favorite months of this past year because, after 8 long months apart, my best friend traveled all the way from Florida to come see me!! Alyssa and I had a wonderful week together, filled with the OTH finale, sparkling grape juice, Nutella to go packs, Ferrero eggs, and REAL European Nutella. It was remarkable.

May:

May brought a little bit of sadness, as two of my dear friends had their first little boy--and he had some difficulties. They spent a lot of time in Vanderbilt, and I spent a lot of time in prayer. Thankfully (and praise God for this!) little Cullin responded well to the surgeries and treatments, and has developed into the perfect and most precious little boy of all time. And while I would never wish this kind of fate upon anyone, I know that the trial that Jake and Shea were placed in helped us all; it helped my prayer life and my faith in God, and no doubt it helped theirs. *This photo is from December because that's the first time I got to meet Cullin, but isn't he the most precious!?*

June:

June was a wonderful month, filled with all kinds of kid-centered things. For the entire month (8 sessions) we had Summer Bible School, so that kept us pretty busy every Tuesday and Thursday. But, one of my favorite kids in the entire universe, my precious niece Jenna, had her first birthday! We definitely enjoyed being a part of that day (since Robert is now a full-fledged uncle!).

July:

How could July not be an incredible month, as it marked a pretty huge milestone for us: our one year anniversary! It was a tumultuous and crazy year, but it was the best I've ever had! Being married is just awesome.

August:

This month brought our yearly spiritual recharge in the form of PTP (Polishing the Pulpit). We got to spend lots of time listening to amazing sermons, as well as lots of dinner times around amazing Christian people (such as Paul & LaDon, Joe & Pam, Tim & his dad and brother, Brandon & Jade, and my grandmother). It was a much-needed, amazing time. Already looking forward to another year should God give us that time.

September:

Just when you thought your year couldn't get any more exciting, we bought OUR FIRST HOUSE! September was a crazy time of packing, cleaning, moving, unpacking, arranging, cleaning, rearranging, losing things, and finally getting settled. It was wonderful, and everyday I am still so thankful that God blessed us with such a wonderful place to call home.

October:

October may have been one of my favorite months of 2012. After a month of home-buying/moving stress, we took a 5 day vacation with Robert's family to Florida, and it was a well-timed getaway for sure! On the heels of that trip, though, came the Ironaton campaign that we filmed in Talledega, AL. It was another much-needed week, in that we got to spend some quality time

November:

Again, another month of awesome stuff happening. Obviously everyone loves Thanksgiving, and we spent that in Pulaski this year. It was a wonderful, fattening day followed by the annual putting up of the Christmas tree....and the now annual going to the store to get more lights. The following week, I went to Miss Mary BoBo's for the first time with Robert's family for his grandmother's 81st birthday. It was absolutely fantastic, and I would recommend it to anyone who has never eaten off of a lazy Susan*. Finally, to cap off this wonderful month, my podcast released on TLN's website, marking the beginning of exciting times ahead for sure!

December:

And now, December is upon us. This year has been crazy-packed with tons of epicness, and I'm sad to see it go. But, this month definitely portrayed exactly what the rest of the year was like: pure and unadulterated awesome sauce. To start, we had a food giveaway at East Hill and we helped to show God's love to over 500 families. It was a beautiful thing to behold, and I was so blessed to be a part of it--not to mention how blessed I am to be working under the oversight of such amazing elders!! The very next weekend one of my dearest college friends got married, and that was just fun times all around!

Obviously this year has been incredible. I would like to give a huge shout-out to the followers I have of this blog, because you are what keeps me going. I would also like to give a big thanks to my supporters/faithful readers who come here via Facebook. You are all such an encouragement to me and I thank you so much for strengthening me as I try to strengthen my own faith.

May you have an amazingly blessed 2013.And, in case you were curious, you can check out my previous years in review here and here.

*Also, don't you just feel bad for the lady that the lazy Susan was named after?

Upcoming Series

I have decided to embark on a couple of different series for my blog in the next few weeks. One will be called "God Means What He Says", adapted from a lesson series I heard from David Sain of the West Fayetteville congregation in Fayetteville, TN. The other will be entitled "Leading Ladies" and will deal with different women of the Bible from whom we can learn some timely and valuable lessons.

Like my tough stuff Tuesday series, these lessons are meant to challenge and uplift us, as well as encourage us to dig a little deeper into what the Word of God says.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know and I will do my best to cover those topics as thoroughly as I possibly can. Also, please excuse the slight irregularity in blogging in the next couple of weeks, as I will be traveling for some other projects.

Thanks and God bless!

Where I've Been

Hi!

I'm incredibly sorry for my way-too-long hiatus from my blog, and I promise not to be gone for so long anytime soon. Fortunately, the reasons I've been away have been outstanding things that have been happening, and I'm here to tell you about a couple of them.

First, we (Robert and I) left for PTP in the middle of August and spent an amazing 7 days around about 2500 Christians in Sevierville, TN. I heard dozens of lessons that I'm still trying to implement into my life, and I hope that I'll be able to share a few of them with you, too. Needless to say, though, after 12+ hours listening to lectures each day, I didn't have any time to write. So...I didn't.

As soon as we got back from PTP, we left for Kentucky so that Robert could speak at a youth rally. He did an amazing job as always, and it was great fun to be able to travel with him. Yet again we were on Eastern Time, so that threw off our schedule a bit and therefore...no blogging once again.

When we got home from Kentucky, WE MOVED! Talk about timing, huh? In which case, the next week was spent packing boxes, moving boxes, packing a UHAUL, unpacking boxes, moving furniture, buying things from Home Depot, fixing things, etc. Oh, and cleaning out our apartment. Once all of that was squared away, well, we didn't have internet at our new house, and you know what that means--no blogging.

BUT! Today, the wonderful little internet man came to our house and installed our internet, so here I am, telling you all about my last three weeks from the comfort of my new home. While this list has mostly been a catch up, quick overview, really it's a short, summarized list of blessings.

God has richly blessed our home and our little family, and we are so thankful and grateful for that. We live in such a wonderful place, surrrounded by wonderful people that God continually uses to bless us and enrich our lives. It is our prayer that we can use all of these things--PTP & our new home especially--to enrich the lives of those around us.

I am continually amazed by God's goodness and love. His blessings truly are new every morning. It seems that every day for the last month or so, I've been able to see even more clearly His hand in my life and His blessings around me. I am so thankful for all of these things, though I know that God is still good when the sunshine isn't out. For us, however, the sun has been shining brightly and we're praising God for all of the wonderful blessings He's provided.

What has the last three weeks looked like in your life? What kinds of things has God blessed you with? I'd love to know!

AND, I promise that if you'll come back, I'll blog even more! Thanks and okbye!

Friday Free-for-all: Getting to Know You

While the title would suggest we're getting to know you, we are, in fact, getting to know me. You're welcome. Sometimes I just can't pass up a good The King and I song lyric.

A few years ago (2.5 to be exact), I did a post that included 25 things about me that you probably never knew. You can read that here if you wish. The thing is, though, I don't really fit into a lot of those molds anymore. There were a lot of things different about my life in December 2009. I was a student in college, Robert was my boyfriend...just to name a couple of big ones. So, I've decided, I might as well do another list (and no, it's not at all because I was completely inspired by my amazing writer bff--but, you can read hers here). So, bringing you up to speed on 24.5 year old Emily...

1: I have the most amazing husband in the entire world. He is a wonderful preacher, an incredibly hard worker, mega talented, and that's just scratching the surface. He is so thoughtful and so loving, and he takes such good care of me.

2: There are a lot of things that have helped me grow in the last year, and I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for all of them. It is true that "the testing of your faith produces endurance", and I am so thankful to have learned such valuable lessons. I am still working on "counting it all joy" when I'm neck-deep in those trials, but I trust that my Father's plans are just being worked out in my life.

3: For a long, long time my favorite verse of the Bible has been Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart...", but I really think that characterized a different time in my life. A time of hurt and healing. A time when I felt broken, and it was such a comfort to know that God could use the broken pieces to make an even better mold. Now, though, I think that my favorite verse(s) are Philippians 4:6-7. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Verse 7 is especially my favorite, because there is nothing better than having your heart and mind guarded by peace of God.

4: I have a job that allows me to listen to sermons all day, hang out with preachers a significant amount of the time, and travel with my husband whenever I need to. God always provides, and that has been manifested this year in the work that I've been able to do. AND, the fact that I'm using parts of my degree is just icing on the cake.

5: The people at the congregation where I attend are some of the best in the entire universe. I never knew that people could be so loving and so caring and so thoughtful. These brothers and sisters have blessed mine and Robert's lives so much, and I am so thankful to be in such a supporting place.

6: I am so blessed to have such an amazing GBF (girl best friend) that gets me, accepts my weird text messages and Facebook messages without judgment, and even flies 4538043 miles to come visit me (and my Nutella).

7: My friends are some of the strongest in the world. Two especially have been through some huge, huge things, and have come out better and closer to God on the other side, and I am so thankful for their strength and their influence in my life.

8: My one-time college roommate and now author, Emily, is seriously becoming such a huge person in my life, and I know that it is because God is actively working in my life. She is such an inspiration to me, and helps me to be a better daughter of God. If you don't read her blog or haven't read her book, The Locket, you need to stop what you're doing and check them both out. You can find her here.

9: We are currently gearing up for Polishing the Pulpit, and if you've never been, I would highly recommend it. There is no week that will recharge and reignite your spiritual fire than that week. It is the highlight of my year. I am so blessed to be able to go, and to have a husband who makes it a priority that we go.

10: There are no words that touch me quite like these: "Just as I am, Thy love unknown, has broken every barrier down. Now to be Thine, yea Thine alone. O Lamb of God I come, I come."

-----

11: I have not had a Diet Coke in almost three weeks. Thank you for being impressed that I'm still alive. It was touch and go for a while.

12: I have almost completed a Couch to 5K program. I mostly hate every second of it.

13: Last year (October?), I cut off about 11 inches from my hair. Then, in January, I cut off about 4 more. Needless to say, it was the dumbest thing I have ever done, and I promise my hair won't get shorter than that for a long, long, long time. I would say will never, but we know that all women eventually succumb to the old lady short hair.

14: I have an unhealthy addiction to sparkling grape juice. I could probably drink the whole bottle in one sitting....and do that multiple times a day. Luckily, I ration myself to like 3 times a year. You're welcome, world.

15: You're also welcome that I don't drink Live Wire year 'round. My sister brought me two to a lock-in that we stayed at with the EH youth, and I haven't been that hyper since high school. Also, I would like to take this time to apologize to anyone who knew me in high school. I was out of control.

16: The Biggest Loser is changing my life, just a few years behind schedule. Since Netflix got the series, I've been watching it. I'm four seasons in, and I already feel like Bob Harper trains me. When I'm running, I think of Bob yelling at them and telling them to sprint the last minute. When I'm about to eat, I feel guilty because I know Bob wouldn't let them eat that. I may be one of the weirdest people you know.

17: I love kid movies so much. The Muppets--hysterical. Despicable Me, wonderful (at least, the parts I managed to see--we did watch it at 4:30am). The Lizzie McGuire Movie--my favorite movie. Don't judge me.

18: I have this crazy-ridiculous cyst in my wrist and it's so creepy and painful. Annnd welcome to TMI time.

19: For my favorite restaurant to be a Mexican place in Huntsville, I only like four things that Mexican restaurants serve: chimichangas, rice, quesadillas and cheese dip. Oh well.

20: I am officially turning into a grown up (finally, at 24). I've started cooking broccoli and cauliflower, and on tonight's menu: zucchini!

21: This year at our summer Bible school, I taught three times and I feel like I could have been a teacher. I would have chosen high school, but I still feel like I could have done it. I loved every second of teaching those kids.

22: I love my two nieces so so so very much, and I also love my adopted nieces and nephews at East Hill. Mostly, though, I love holding babies and making them laugh, then giving them back to their parents. And on that note...

23: I've never changed a diaper.

24: If you have never played the game Quelf, I'm so sorry. It is the most hilarious game in the world.

25: My current go-to drink is Diet Sundrop. That is the saddest sentence in the entire world.

*Also, you're welcome that I decided to do 10 serious, 15 not-so-serious. You would have been reading for two straight weeks had I continued to do all serious.

*Also again, it's Friday the 13th. Spooooky. For that reason I'll tell you a #26--I hate scary movies.

Must-Tell Monday: Musings

There are just some things I don't understand. Ok, there are a lot of things I don't understand, but today I'm choosing to put those into blog format. Maybe you can help me with the answers.

1: Why are women's pants so against pockets? Do designers think women don't need pockets, or that they don't enjoy putting their hands in their pockets? On nearly every single pair of jeans/dress pants that I own, there are either no pockets, faux pockets, or pockets that are sewn-up, and when you tear out the stitch, there's not even room for you to place enough change to get a Diet Coke at McDonald's.

I like pockets. I think lots of women like pockets, otherwise putting pockets in dresses wouldn't be such a big hit. So here's a thought: let's put real pockets on women's pants. Okthanks.

2: Why did Allegra have to go over-the-counter?

During my junior year at Freed-Hardeman, I came down with some ridiculously painful headaches. The on-campus doctor thought I was having migraines, and gave me some medicine in hopes of curing my ailment. They didn't work. So, I went to my hometown doctor and he told me that I had chronic allergies. Actually, he made me feel like an idiot: "You have chronic allergies. How could you not know you have allergies?" Ok, so maybe he didn't say it just like that, but that's about how it felt. Regardless, I've been taking allergy medicine once a day since then. I think it has something to do with life in Tennessee. It hates my sinuses.

After going through Zyrtec and Claratin and realizing that they didn't work even the least little bit, I switched to Allegra. Fortunately, the generic brand was available and so I only paid about $5 for a month's supply. NOW? Now that they've so graciously decided to make Allegra over-the-counter? It's 14.99 for the off-brand, $24 for a 30 day supply of actual Allegra. Ridiculous I say!

3: Why does Diet Coke taste different depending on what form it is in? For instance, Diet Coke out of a can tastes remarkably different from Diet Coke out of a 2 liter. Nothing can compare to a Diet Coke from the fountain at McDonald's--yet Burger King's fountain Diet Coke is mildly repulsive. It's all Diet Coke! Why doesn't it all taste amazing??

4: Why do the signs at malls reserve parking spots for "expectant moms"? I think the sign should say "Reserved for those at least 6 months pregnant", otherwise people will just take advantage. I mean, I'm not pregnant, but I expect to be a mom one day. Can I park there?

5: Why is there a "next" button on Hanging With Friends but not on Words With Friends? It drives me crazy about every day.

6: Why do people feel the need to pull out in front of you and then immediately turn? It's like, "Hey! I'm your dose of patience today!"

7: How did I grow up saying Reese-y's piece-y's instead of Reese's pieces and why didn't someone tell me otherwise??

8: Why is running so awful?

9: Why haven't you started listening to Mindy Gledhill yet???

10: Why don't you comment already? I need answers!!

Must-Tell Monday: Best Friend Edition

Today is Monday. Since today is Monday, I must tell you something: I will probably be on a blogging hiatus (yes again) until next Tuesday (or let's be real--Thursday). Why? Well, I have a reallllllllly good, exciting reason. ALYSSA IS COMING!!!!

I cannot contain my excitement over this. The reason is threefold. 1: She is my best friend and who doesn't love spending time with their bff? 2: She lives in FL so I never, ever, ever get to see her and it's been nine months so I've been having serious withdrawals. 3: We have so many amazing things to do together that no one else really understands. That being said, Alyssa will be here starting tomorrow until the next Tuesday. That's right people: 7 full days with my bff. You should probably pray for Robert during this time, since he'll be overrun with girlness at the (2 bedroom) apartment.

In honor of Alyssa coming, I have decided to tell you a few things about her that I love more than anything. They are, in no particular order:

1: Our random texts that would make about zero sense to anyone else and yet perfectly describe us.

2: Our nearly daily FB messages chronicling the most random of things about our lives.

3: Our identical taste in music.

4: Our shared passion for things like Nutella, Paris, Diet Coke, Rosie's/Cruisers, OTH, Parenthood, tennis, and Rosi Golan.

5: Her ridiculously hilarious laugh.

6: The way she doesn't and hasn't ever judged me, regardless of knowing me/befriending me at some pretty low moments.

7: Every Europe memory we created together.

8: The way she knows everything about me and reads my blog anyway =P

9: How amazing of a person she is. Strong, resilient, inspirational, wonderful.

10: Everything else about her.

I don't need to tell you (again) how excited I am, but let's be honest, I can't stop. The next week is going to be incredibly amazing. So I'm not really sorry that I won't be blogging. Don't worry though, I'll be sure to update you on the next Must-Tell Monday (you know, two weeks from now).

Also, the reason I said Thursday instead of next Tuesday is because I am now doing a devotional at East Hill that Thursday night so I won't have any time to blog because I'll be studying. In which case, see you in a couple of weeks!

The Hiatus Review

Sorry for my weeklong absence! It is a crazy time in the Hatfield household.

I must tell you about my favorite things from the last week and a half, though. So bear with me through today's Must Tell Monday* post.

1: I loved getting to spend time with my husband on the road. Road trips provide great conversations and memories that I will cherish forever.

2: I loved getting to spend time with fellow Christians. We spent 3 days at the MSOP lectures, surrounded by people who want to get to heaven. It is amazing how different the atmosphere is at lectureships verses day to day life. I long for heaven, when we can all be together and be with our God and our Savior.

3: I loved getting together with ladies from East Hill and studying God's Word. It is always a blessing to hear God's Word opened from a heart that has been studying. I especially love to hear ladies talk about the love of God; it's such a unique perspective.

4: I loved getting to spend time with my mom and my sister. Moving away cultivates an even greater relationship, I think. So, now that I'm a little over an hour away from my entire family, the times I get to see them are so precious. Now if I could just get a hold of those two nieces of mine we'd be in business...

5: I loved the weather. While I didn't like that both my husband and my sister were traveling during the tornado warnings, I did love seeing God's power in the storms. It is so comforting to know that regardless of what happens, my God is bigger than whatever can come my way in this life. Storms, temptations, trials, pain--God is bigger than all of it.

*I did write this on Monday. Who knows why it didn't want to post?

Why I Loved This Weekend

If you read my post from yesterday, it's no surprise to you that I am now the owner of a new iPad. I'm still getting adjusted to not having a laptop, but I don't think it will be a very difficult change. I have already fallen in love with dictation, iPhoto, the resolution, and everything else about it. That's reason enough to have a great weekend, right? The thing is, there is SO much more.

It all started Friday. I worked Friday morning until lunch, then had to take off and head toward Lawrenceburg to...wait for it...you can totally judge me for this...officially change my name. I'd been putting it off (for 8 months?!) because you can't do it right here in Pulaski. Who wants to go to a neighboring county to do it? Not this girl. Finally, though, I purposed in my heart that I couldn't put it off any longer. So, on an unseasonably warm March day I got in ole Julius and rode with the windows down all the way to Lawrenceburg.

I was prepared for a wait. I packed a book and my fully-charged iPhone in preparation. When I arrived at the social security office, there were no other cars there. I thought they were closed for lunch.

False.

I walked inside and was greeted by a precious security guard who told me the wait was five minutes. Ten minutes later I was in my car and on my way to the driver's license place.

I walked in the driver's license place expecting it to be like Huntsville--rude people, long lines, etc. Not so! Good old Lawrenceburg surprised me again with a two minute wait and a very helpful lady who officially welcomed me to Tennessee (though she wouldn't give me back my Alabama license and I was sad). By the time I got back to Pulaski, I'd spent 40 minutes driving and 20 minutes actually changing my name. This was a much easier process than I'd expected.

So, I decided to go and get my car tag. Easy-peasy again. The last thing on the list was changing my name at my bank. Blah. To do that, I had to go to Huntsville. You can't exactly call the bank and say, yeah I changed my name! Put a brand new name on my bank account that has a gazillion dollars in it (ha, funny). Making the day all the better, Robert decided to join me on the jaunt to Huntsvegas. I had warned him along the way that there was no way my luck could last in Huntsville. Any time I'd gone to the bank on a Friday afternoon in Huntsville the wait was atrocious. Anytime I went to the bank at ALL in Huntsville the wait was pretty bad. And yet, we rolled up in the parking lot, got out, asked the lady at the front where we needed to go, and she said she'd take us back and take care of it. 8 minutes later and we were out of there, too! The final remnant of Lauren (the old middle name that I dropped) was gone. I was no longer an Alabama resident. I no longer went by my given name. Nope, I was a new person from a new state with a new tag and a new license and a new social security card. AND IT WAS THE EASIEST PROCESS EVER.

I even got to meet my family at Rosie's (my all-time favorite place) for dinner, capping off a perfect day.

Let's move on to Saturday shall we? (As if this post isn't long enough already!)

Robert and I had planned to go to the Green Hills mall in Nashville, so we got up, got ready, and headed toward Franklin to get something to eat. It was another gorgeous day, traffic wasn't unbearable, we found an amazing parking spot within seconds (which, if you've been to green hills, you know how amazing this is). We had a productive shopping day, too. I got some new (incredibly discounted) pants from Loft, some practical items from the Container Store, had some cheesecake from--where else?--The Cheesecake Factory, and I got to spend all of that time with my amazing, wonderful husband. Oh, and then we had the best experience ever at the Apple Store. Just an all-around perfect day. As we were leaving I even used the phrase, "There's a rainbow in my heart." Who am I and what kind of perfect day possessed me? I don't use phrases like that. And yet, it was so befitting of that day.

Yesterday was also incredible. We got to worship with the saints at East Hill, which is always a blessing. We had an amazing Bible class on giving, then a great lesson on unity/fellowship. I had a nice lunch date with Robert, and then he went back up to the church building and I did the Sunday usual--Wal-Mart. Continuing my good luck streak, I didn't get stopped by any lights on the way and found an incredibly close parking spot the very first go-round. As I was leaving, the buggy guys even stopped and waited for me to finish unloading my groceries so they could take my cart for me. Like I said, good luck.

Next, I headed to the dollar tree to get wreath supplies. My sister texted me Saturday night and said she'd made a wreath with supplies from the dollar tree, and I decided to try it out. 15 minutes and 6 dollars later, I had all of my supplies. 20 minutes after getting home and unloading all of the supplies, my wreath was finished and hanging on my door.

Another perfect weekend in Pulaski if I do say so myself.

This is only a test

On Saturday, I got the new iPad. My wonderful husband took me to the Apple Store at Green hills and we decided that instead of getting a MacBook air, I would just get an iPad in the place of my personal computer. I'm pretty excited about it, especially because there is dictation on the iPad. That's exactly what I'm doing now--I'm talking to my iPad and it's typing. So that's why I am calling this a test. I'm testing the dictation on my iPad; I'm testing the new way I'll be blogging. I hope you enjoy all of my upcoming posts as much as I will.

So that's it then. This is only a test. Hope you enjoy all my posts and I hope you will tune in and comment. Thanks!

Weekends with Mom

I spent this past Saturday with my mom. She drove up for the day and we got to have some much-needed one-on-one time. I didn't even realize I needed it as much as I did, but as she drove away Saturday night I realized just how much I'd missed seeing her every day.

We didn't do anything significant on Saturday, but it was just what I needed. While we were out wasting the day shopping in Cool Springs, I noticed some ways I'm exactly like my mom:

1: We shop the same. We don't like to dig through every piece of clothing in every single stack. We go in, examine the sales racks, and instantly decide if we like something or not. If not, we're on our way. She's the perfect shopping partner.

2: We get tired of shopping at the same time. Two hours is our breaking point. Normally it's before then, but we were having so much fun talking and laughing that I didn't really notice until we got to the final store. But, we both looked at each other and said, I'm ready to go. Again, perfect shopping partner.

3: We snack the same. I developed my love for ice cream from my mom. I also inherited the ability to scarf it down like her. I fully believe we could win an ice cream eating contest. No brain freezes for us!

4: We like the same things. This may or may not be a good thing, but at one point while we were shopping, I pulled a shirt off the rack to examine it, looked over and realized my mom was holding out the exact same shirt in a different size. Needless to say, I put mine up and she bought it, but still. We like the same things. =)

5: We travel the same. Both coming and going, we needed something from McDonald's; for me it was a large Diet Coke, for her-sweet tea. Still, when we're traveling we need some sort of drink to keep us company.

There are probably a host of other ways that we're the same, but those are the ones that really stick out to me. However, while we were spending the day together, I also noticed a lot of qualities that my mom possesses that I hope I inherit:

1: The way she loves her daughters. I've known for a long time that my mom loves me, but when I hear her talk about my sisters it makes me realize just how much she loves us. It's evident in her voice and the things she says. I hope that I can love my children the way she's loved me.

2: She takes care of her family. Emotionally and physically, she takes care of us. She knows everything there is to know about nursing someone back to health. She's always given of herself completely when one of us were sick (though let's be honest, I'm the most sickly one). I hope that I can do the same for my kids and my husband.

I have an incredible mom. I'm so thankful for her and all the things she's taught me. I hope that I can be like her in a lot of ways.

Wouldn't It Be Nice

If you have known/followed me for a while (or if you read my post last Friday), you know I've been blogging for a while. You may also know I came over from a little blog that was near and dear to my heart. On said blog I liked to do a lot of things, but mostly I liked to make lists. Why? I don't actually know. Possibly because I'm pretty type-A, possibly because I'm not a good blogger and settle for lists because they aren't creative, possibly a lot of things. The point is this: it's my free for all Friday and I'm pretending to be back in the world of my typepad, and you're getting a list.

THE LIST [BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE A LIST] LIST:

1: Quitting Diet Coke was a bad idea for me. What's that? You didn't know I'd quit drinking Diet Coke? Where have you been? Ahem. It was a long, hard 8 days but somehow I made it through it. And oh yeah, it was a dumb decision. So now I'm back, from outer space. I just walked in to the refridge to find that Diet Coke in its case.

Yeah. Just totes made up a rhyme for ya.

2: I spent my entire Friday night cleaning (and making hilarious memories with the husband). Cleaning on a Friday means two things. 1: I don't have a life at all. 2: My mom is coming to visit tomorrow! I'm mostly ecstatic about that fact. We are going shopping and it will be beyond exciting. Have I mentioned lately that I miss my mom? I do. It's a lot.

3: My bff is amazing. I have spent the better portion of today texting my bestie Alyssa about ridiculously amazing things. The fact that we live 12 hours away doesn't interfere with our closeness. That's bff-ship right there.

4: Not having cable is the best. I do not miss having cable for even a microsecond. We have Netflix and Hulu, and while I could probably get by with just one of those things, having both of them is the best possible scenario. I get to watch all of my favorite TV shows the next day *via Hulu, and watch all kinds of wonderful(ly old) movies on Netflix.  Greatness.

5: I am so ready to move into a real house. Don't get me wrong, I love our apartment. I espesh love getting to live with the most wonderful roommate/best friend/husband in all of the universe. Still, I'm ready to not be a renter. I'm ready to drive all kinds of nails in the wall, paint stuff, decorate more.

6: Speaking of things I'm ready for: I'm ready for Alyssa to BE here. She's coming in a month and I'm out of control beside myself with excitement. We're going to have the most legendary time. It will be epic.

7: Moving on to things I'm not ready for: children. No joke, two days after we got back from our honeymoon, people were asking me when we were going to have kids. 1: That probably only concerns me and the hubs. 2: Not anytime soon!! I had another revelation tonight as I was doing laundry. If TWO people can produce so much laundry (and never have enough time/energy to catch up on it), how on earth could I add another? I haven't even figured out this whole wife thing (not that I will pre-kids, but still). A little more practice would be nice. Am I making sense here? Thoughts? Do you/did you/are you want(ing) to have kids right when you get married? Am I alone in my 'let's wait 5 years' plan? According to all the Facebook pictures of sonograms, I'd say yes. Tell me otherwise, please.

8: I really can rant about not ready to have children I am, huh? The thing is, God has a plan and knows the plan and just hasn't filled me in on the plan. Children may not even BE the plan. I just pray for God's will to be done in my life, and I will accept it no matter what that is.

9: Apple always scares me into not buying 'new' technology because they come out with something new every second. I'm on the verge of getting a new laptop because The Great White is going on back. Now, though, they say that everything is going tablet? Oh Apple. Just tell me what I should do!

10: Every good and perfect list should end at 10. This one most definitely will....

11: Not.

*Do you say V-uh or VY-uh? I need to know. It's a part of the calculations I make when deciding if we're going to be friends.

Also, did you see what I did there with espesh, like especially? I figured if I put 'espec' it wouldn't quite get the point across. Brill, right?

A Date with your Blogging Friend

Here's the deal: since it's Friday I can do whatever I want and I'm choosing to go on a little date with all of you.

First dates can be awkward. If our first date is anything like mine and Robert's first date, there will be uncomfortable silences even though we both knew each other extremely well. I don't want that to happen with us. No, I want us to have mutual conversations, and both benefit from our time together on this Friday evening. What needs to happen is this: we need to have some good old fashioned get to know each other time. I'll go first.

I'm Emily. I've had a blog since, well, since Xanga's and Livejournals were cool. Thankfully I've forgotten the passwords and usernames to all of those accounts, but I'd be extremely embarrassed should they ever be resurrected. I have lots of interests. I love traveling, writing, watching movies, scrapbooking (though I can't for the life of me remember when the last time was that I had a scrapbook), taking pictures, and eating. I love eating. Recently, I stopped drinking Diet Coke (for 8 days, and it might have been one of the dumber decisions of my life). I have decided it is in the best interest of everyone if I drink Diet Coke sometimes, but the IV I had was just a bit much.

I have an amazing husband and I absolutely adore him. When I was little, I thought about what marriage would be like and who I would marry and things like that. I never imagined that it would be as great as it is, or that I would find someone who loves me as much as Robert does. I have loved every single second of our marriage so far, and although we're only 8 months in, I think that's pretty good. It goes to show that when you know someone so thoroughly and completely beforehand, there aren't any bad surprises or scary characteristics to be unearthed.

The biggest part of my life is my Christianity. I take it extremely seriously, though I fail my Lord far more than I want to. Recently, I've changed the way I view things, and instead of wanting to run my own Christianity, I want to give it to God (novel concept, huh?). I may not convert someone that immediately becomes the strongest Christian ever, but if I can have a positive influence and plant that seed in someone that years later comes to fruition, that's what it's all about. I hope to get to heaven and meet a lot of people that were directly or indirectly effected by my life. After all, that's what we're called to do.

In my spare time, I....well, I don't know. I don't have a lot of spare time. I like to be busy. I love being a preacher's wife, because there's always something for us to be doing.

And there you have it. That's pretty much me in a nutshell. And now? Well, now it's your turn. You see, I want to know about you and what you like. What do you like about this blog, what topics do you like, have you checked out all of the features that my blog has? Did you know that at the end of every post, there are three little buttons that you can hit that tell me that you read it and you liked it, didn't like it, or thought it was ok. You don't have to log in to anything in order to do that! Or, you can follow this blog via email so that you get updates when I post. OR, if you have a google account, you can just follow me through that. You can also leave me a comment, telling me a little bit about yourself and what kinds of things interest you, that way I can customize my posts to you.

I'm doing my best to stay positive and excited about the changes to my blog, though I'm sure my old one feels neglected and sad. I'm sure that if you commented, etc. I'd feel much better. Just a thought. =)

Enjoy your Friday everyone! Also, can you believe it's March? Me either. But I'm thankful God has given us more time to serve Him.