truth

Stolen from Hallmark Commercial....but TRUE none the less.
Here's to not waiting for holidays to celebrate.

Love love love and Happy Thanksgiving

tweenager

i am 14 and have been revisiting

xoxo

and tonight i get to go see::

and i am sooooooo totally excited.

happy weekend!! :-)

gratitude in check

can't help but feel grateful tonight--want to check your attitude? check your gratitude.
i am blessed beyond belief...thank you Lord.

i've been given so much.

would i be happy with a Christmas shoe-box? would i be content?

heard a testimony by Lisa Terkheurst. Two of her sons were born in a third-world-country.  Each day, at an orphanage, they were challenged in choir to stand up and say things in their lives they were grateful for.  These children, faced with bare feet, empty bellies, and scarred hands couldn't think of one blessed thing to be truly grateful for. and yet one at a time they stood up and sang a praise song.  their attitude was transformed by their gratitude.

thinkinig recently about thorns in my life. some seeds fell on good soil, but they encountered there, thorns. 

are my comforts my thorns? does my need for perfection, a clean car, 3 square meals, shoes, gas money, running water--does it numb me into ungratefulness? sometimes the things that we take for granted (or marble, if you are Kurt...he can never resist that joke)

are the very things that hinder us from pure gratitude.  I am praying this Christmas for a heart without thorns, a heart uninhibited by wants disguised as needs.

create

singing psalms has always calmed my heart. whenever i find myself in discord, i always sing this. thank you Jesus for your power to renew me!

"create in me a clean heart oh God
and renew a right spirit within me
cast me not away from your precense oh lord
and take not your holy spirit from me
restore unto me
the joy of your salvation
and renew a right spirit within me."

How to Conquer Comparisons by Lysa Terkheurst

*comparisons are always something I have struggled with.  How easy is it to do? So easy!, if we are not living a "controlled thought life" and being happy being perfectly equipped to be our own selves. Wow. *

How to Conquer Comparisons

Have you ever questioned why God isn't blessing you in the same way as someone else? When I

find myself making comparisons and wanting what someone else has, I must consciously choose

to redirect my thinking. Too many of us live with an uncontrolled thought life. It is possible to

learn to identify destructive thoughts and make wiser choices. Instead of letting these thoughts

rumble freely about in my mind, I make the choice to harness them and direct them toward truth.

Think of something you want that someone else has. Have you been lured into thinking, “If only

I had ___________________ like that person, my life would be great!”

Now, practice redirecting those thoughts by saying instead:

I am not equipped for her good.

I am not equipped for her bad.

I am not equipped to carry the weight of her victories.

I am not equipped to shoulder her burdens.

I am not equipped to be her in any way.

I am, however, perfectly equipped to be me.

Therefore, thank You, God, for only entrusting me with what I have and who I am.

When I compare myself to others and focus on wanting what they have, it quite simply wears me

out trying to figure out how to have more, be more, and do more. That’s why Jesus instructs

worn-out people, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will

find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

Note a couple key words in these verses. A “yoke” is a wooden frame used to harness two draft

animals to whatever they have to pull. The Greek word for “easy” can also mean “well-fitted.”

Combine this information together and it appears that Jesus is saying He has equipped each of us

with well-fitted assignments in life. As long as we do and aspire to only what He calls us, our

burden will not only be manageable, it will be light.

It’s also interesting to note that when an animal is in training, a farmer will often put it in a head

yoke rather than a neck yoke to keep the animal from looking around and getting anxious. I think

my head yoke has been the thought-redirecting statement, “I’m not equipped to handle what they

have—both good and bad.” It sure has stopped me from looking around and getting anxious!

For more information on this topic, read Lysa’s book,

Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl.

Lysa TerKeurst

following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led

thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey. For more

information, visit www.LysaTerKeurst.com

To purchase this resource click on Shop P31 at

helps everyday women live an adventure of faith throughwww.Proverbs31.org© 2010 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

welcome fall

fall

leaves

red

spice tea-bannana-fire chatting-mid 50's-cinnamon sticks-pumpkins-octoberfests-thankfulness-foot ball games-candle burning-just plain in love

with fall.



Under the Covers

Consider me a LAZY DAISY

After 10:05.
Needless to say, I should not be held responsible for words typed passed 10:05

So I'm going to forget my own words and rely on someone else :
  
 This little blip caught my attention on the radio on the way home from work. Much needed encouragement & a lesson in confidence. Perhaps that's not something you struggle with today, but I feel certain that at some point in our lives we all question whether we are "enough" in some capacity or another. I know I certainly do every day and feel as if I could have always done more. . .So much so that by 10:05 I simply feel spent and need to read rather than write, or soak in someone else's words & encouragement. I hope that this video touches you in the same way it touched me


http://vimeo.com/soundpostproductions/reneeswopeaconfidentheartsv

much love and confidence,
em




 

What’s Your Musical Memory?

Goodness if Music doesn't take you back or forward or somewhere in between, then I don't think we can be friends. I say this with confidence, because I am fairly certain that music takes just about everyone to a certain spot in their lives.

A Musical History by Emily H. Nelson

-I was raised on slow and easy listening stations, as well as the good old oldies. My daddy sang "I wanna hold your hand" at me everytime we were together, "My Girl," etc…he still does.

-My mom is the type who typically asks, have you heard this song and then starts singing it, not a few lines, but like the whole thing. She also could probably think of a song for every sentence you say to her. She will burst into song. It's not unusual. Whether its recent favorites like Jar of Hearts or a Stevie Wonder song, she's coming at you no notes barred. She has a beautiful voice.

-Toni Bennett makes me cry, as well as Christmas music favorites like Andy Williams and don't even GET me started on Perry Como. Oh Perry Como. Melts. My. Heart. And makes me cry and then laugh and then want some serious hot chocolate.

-In highschool I kind of listened to whatever was burned to me. Lucky for me I had lots of wonderful friends with lots of wonderful music tastes. A good harmony would get me in choir. There were songs we sang like the Hallelujah chorus that would literally give me chills. Or singing in the rotunda…okay I will stop, getting slightly dorky. Or riding home from school with a CD made by that SOS and knowing just knowing they picked that song just for you…which I'm sure wasn't always true but it made high-school that much more romantic.

-When Kurt and I met it was all country all the time. I remember listening to him sing Brad Paisley and *swooning* -- something about a good old country song that will get you everytime. I remember we would ride in the car and he didn't seem to mind me belting out my favorite songs, and he certainly wasn't shy about it either. We would ride down Highway 6 and back, just to listen.

-Going through my ipod today, I realized that my "most played" playlist was identical to that of my Baby Ballet CDS…uh oh. Looks like I need a music-makeover, or need to spend some time soaking in the tunes. I got on the treadmill and the WAKA WAKA song came on, its Shakira, don't judge…but I could literally not stand still. Obviously danced on the treadmill.

Sam Cooke is my Saturday obsession

"Darling you-ooo-ooo-send me"

There have been songs I have tried to forget, lots I can't remember exactly, and then some I hear in the car with friends and magically know every single word. What's your musical story? What musical memories will you never forget?

Music, oh I love you.

God broke the mold when he gave us music, didn't he?

 

Xoxo Emily

 

 

 

Big Hearted

These beautiful creatures have a heart the size of a VW Bug! Can you imagine that? This video reminded me of how much I love sea creatures, DOLPHINS especially. I used to have a dolphin collection of sorts that would have made my DDD friends proud.

Makes me feel so small and insignifcant, thankfully so. "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean!" Sing it Lee Ann! 

Happy Tuesday Yall!

perspective

the things i have worried over this week have included superficial concerns of many kinds, most of which have revolved around minor inconveniences of my every day life

such as

not getting my coffee
running late to ballet
nearly running out of gas  on the interstate
going grocery shopping every other day
"stress" (this is an abstract word i use when i don't really know what else to say)
not having something new to wear out to eat
and not getting 8 hrs of sleep

each night.

newsflash :: i am beyond blessed that my everyday concerns are comfort factors i have tricked myself into believing are required. reflecting on 9.11 i am incredibly thankful--

i am alive, life is so good, and above all GOD is in control and my all in all.

this week im challenging myself to live blessed, starbucks or no & to concentrate on things of eternal importance.

10 years later and it still brings me to tears, to my knees, but most of all it brings me back to focus, perspective.

instagram fun

loving my instagram lately!

i want to see life like instagram does--all pretty and artsy like! take a picture of a sack of potatoes and instagram it

INSTA-ART.

happy SUNDAY!

Life Is Sweet Without Wheat

Got a phone call last week that informed me, "you have celiacs disease." Cool, thank you and Goodbye then gastro-entro-nologist (absolutely this is not how you spell this word)

Which all that means is my body is now, for some strange reason, allergic to wheat. So here-goes a new diet of gluten-free foods. I need to get serious and start checking out some "oodie websites" and saving my pennies for the expensive flour ($8.50?) i have to purchase, but there are some great perks to being a gluten-ite.

1. is called you get to go to FRESH MARKET a lot and your hubby supports this decision because he knows you are depressed about not getting to eat Nutrigrain bars, animal crackers, and milano cookies, which up until this point had been your main food groups.

2. is called you get to shop around at the FRESH MARKET with your cutie little two-teired shopping cart that fits exactaly $90 of the freshest, happiest, fruits, veggies, meats, and cheeses you have ever seen.

3. is called you get a Sonic Power Ade Slush whenever you want because it does not have gluten in it and you occasionally feel bad for yourself over seeing all the happy digestive systems eating at the CFA.

4. is called your friends come over just to check out what you figured out you could make. So far I have made glutenfree ROAST BEEF and Veggies, Gluten Free SPAGHETTI! I am working on more lunch ideas so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know!!!

love love love,
em

i'm so exhausted tonight--so exhausted that is a miracle that i am blogging.
but priorities, are important and it has been forever since i wrote anything down about anything.

all i want to do tonight is READ, put words into my mind, not try to squeeze them out into something that makes a little, hopefully, sense.  Reading is so good like that, have you thought about it? taking words in and processing them is so much easier, for me, than putting them on a page.

this is also a wonderful quality in a facebook stalker. (que scary music)
i can easily spend hours just looking. reading. never posting, just looking. you're really lucky if i have the energy to give you a thumbs up "like" on facebook. this is big for me. don't ask me to come up with something to SAY however.

i  can spend hours reading blogs, without anyone knowing i'm there. okay,sounds creepy but tonight i wanted to say

HERE I AM.  and this is what I know TODAY

today i know:

i'm loved, blessed by JESUS, not hungry at all because i have had lots to eat today, happy to have a comfy bed, excited to start BITTER IS THE NEW BLACK, getting to love new home more and more each day, hoping that i can visit family SOON, and pondering the benefits of five hour energy pills at 4 in the afternoon, are these healthy? oh, and LOVE you like a love song baby IS ON REPEAT. loves it.

so these thoughts prove i am here. as does the big dent in my favorite pillow.



goodnight world. stalk you in the morning. 

R&R

Been reading a wonderful book by Joyce Meyer called Eat the Cookie Buy the Shoes. My first instinct was to say well no wonder this is a Nee York Times Best Seller! How many times does it take to tell a woman to "eat the cookie!"

The thing is, it has taken me a while longer than it should have to discover the true art of relaxation. It is a talent, and sometimes I have a difficult time of it. I compensate for my worry with to-do lists and hard work. Sometimes I think people will no longer love little old me if I stop being a hard worker. Well that's just pride and prides just as ugly as they come.

The truth is a good woman knows the art and necessity of a little R&R and can lighten up every so often. My mother is known for laughing at her poor children during a tantrum or when we find ourselves the most pitiful creatures on Gods green earth. She doesn't take our tedious troubles too seriously. She knows its better to laugh. She also believes in the power of the cat nap. 20 minutes and she's a new woman. With six kids if she didn't recharge she'd be in the funny farm by now.

So dismiss that negative connotation of rest and recreation and refreshment with These thoughts from Joyce's book::

"rest is not inactivity but the harmonious working together of all the faculties and affection of will, heart, imagination & conscious."



"if the emotions heart will or mind is set against the thing being done there will be no rest. Martha was working, but she resented it so she could not rest. When we have a job to do we should do it willingly not with resentment. It is vital for us to use our free will and choose the will of god when a thing needs to be done. We say in our heart "I will do this as a service to god and I will do it with a good attitude."

immeasurably more

wanted to share a few things that have cropped up in my life lately--in Bible verses I have come across & books that I have been reading; all have presented truths i already KNOW, but do i truly TAP into the powersource, the ABUNDANCE that is my Jesus?

as believers in Christ we have the power that raised Christ from the dead, living within us. Paul urges the Ephesians to truly tap into this power when he writes,

"that HE may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be STRENGTHENED with power through his spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that YOU rooted and grounded in love, may have STRENGTH to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and heighth and depth, and to KNOW the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be FILLED with the fullness of God"  Ephesians 3:16-19

as i read this verse, I feel myself getting bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger.  God wants me to have strength? power? he wants little me to know the length, breadth, heighth and depth of his love! he wants happiness and peace, true joy found only in Him! why, if this is true, do i worry over the small things, mistakes made, my inadequacies, grades, what others think, what others say? if i truly was tapped into the power that Christ gives me, and places within me, then I would not worry at all about what is to come.

"Now to HIM who is able to accomplish far more than all we can ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever." Ephesians 3:20

In this verse Paul says that God's power, his abilities, his overall-plan is SO MUCH GREATER than even our WILDEST DREAMS.  He is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE
than what we can comprehend.  Why then do I not ask him? pray specifically for the strength and power that I require to make it through the day, for the self-esteem, for the desire to play hard, for my future-spouse, for whoever and whatever it is I am struggling with, why do I not ask him?

Because of these truths we are called to CELEBRATE and REJOICE in God's goodness.  He desires for us the "abundant life!"  He desires for us bigness, fullness, happiness, joy, freedom---he desires for us a care-free lifestyle that ONLY relying on Jesus can give. 

In college I struggled the most with anxiety and inadequacy.  I felt stretched thin, I felt like I was living hand-to-mouth and day-to-day. I struggled with eating enough food to keep me going. I felt like the less space I took up the better. Smaller, quieter, I didn't have enough energy to ward off what I knew was Satan tempting me to dispair.  Wow. That is hard to admit, but so true.  While I wasn't actively sinning against others, I was certainly not tapping into the power that Jesus had already given me.  He had a big present waiting for me in the corner but I was too tired to notice, or believe.

Still today I struggle with anxiety but I have to actively choose to believe and reopen his gifts each morning.  Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Not in my power, but in God's power.  Reading these verses makes me feel full, powerfull, strong.  it makes me feel happy and joyful.  unafraid. 

Thats why I love this picture of Kurt so much; he is unafraid, unworried, stretched out agaisnt the biggest place he could find. Taking up as much space as he can in a picture//he stands next to a huge ocean and yet he struggles to be as large as the sea.  It is refreshing to me.  It used to bother me how much space he demanded, but now I see what a gift that is.

God can do IMMEASURABLY MORE

talked out

i feel talked out

lately i have been carrying on at the office, answering telephones and writing down messages like "rt tooth sore. sensitive to cold. needs to be glued back." very professional messages such as this, might lead you to ask the question, girl, what are you doing answering phones in a dentist office?

you might also wonder why a girl who makes her husband order the pizza, talk at sonic, and pay all the bills, is handling making appointments, phone calls, and billing other peoples insurance?

dr. westover, if you are reading this, don't lose faith in me.

but isnt it funny the way my comfort zone no longer exists?

a year ago, only a year ago, i was scrambling for a day job--kurt would push me out the door into a random establishment, yelling encouragement such as "you look cute! of course they will hire you" or "tell them you wrote a thesis!" as one may have told me, ahem, 5 years ago, a liberal arts degree and no experience grants you just that: a liberal arts degree (and a pretty way of talking that others probably won't be able to understand) a thesis? who do you think YOU are little lady? Charlotte Bronte?

needless to say my smallish voice and shy way of not looking at you directly in the eye for too awfully long, didn't insight complete confidence in my selling, teaching, govering, or even peir-one-ing abilities.  looking for a job is one of the most humbling experiences.  its kind of like you are a sorry little telemarketer, who gets hung up on relentlessly all day long. i feel bad for their self confidence.  random telemarketer, if YOU are reading this, take heart.  we do (maybe) need you after all.

zip to the present
i have a job, and on most days i can do it.  on most days i can correctly identify your appointment, not choke on the phone, translate your bill, and pretend as if insurance companies are my best friends.  i can sweet talk you into not having an appointment, paying your bill, and convincing you that its probably best for you to come back in four months to have your teeth checked again. on most days.

on other days
i find myself trampling around the muddy grass in search of dr. westover's car, which is literally smarter than i, clicking the keys in hopes of a beep. you may find me shaking at the wheel as i tread cautiously to his son's grade school, where i try to gracefully holler his name out the window, and not look like a kidnapper in the process.  i also may or may not find myself rejoicing with blackened hands that the toner is now working, asking the FedEx man how to apply the shipping label, or screaming gibberish at the sweet lady who fixed my credit-card-thing. 

all in all
it is good. it is good to know i can do it. it is BETTER to know when i can't, there is someone to ask, someone to help, and someone to laugh with.

cheers to a lack of comfort in my very comfortable life.
em

for what is a year without learning?

what is a day without laughter or trials--

a bubble of sorts, unrealistic and all

lovey dovey the whole day through,

will never compare to a real year with you.

things aren't always easy neither are they always trying
you can laugh or you can cry. never mistake a chance to laugh as a reason not to
prefecting can be the opposite of accepting if i'm not careful
just a thing or two i learned in one year with you

one can be mad enough to spit and happy enough to cry
and by one i mean me.

food is better when you eat it
sometimes considering others means considering yourself first
nothing's sweeter than contentment
just a thing or two i leanred in a year with you

one can't step over certain rules like how minutes and hours work together
and by one i mean even me

some people are loud, they make noise. they generally take up space.
it is better to bite the bullet, own up, tell the truth, make it count
twenty dollars gas now, twenty dollars gas later, is not more effecient than spending all up front
just a thing or two i learned in a year with you


one can leave or run, hide or try, not to see the good
and by one i mean me
but the other one will always be
all the good there was in me
and by the other one i mean you

when i look at you all i see

is many different pieces of me thrown together in a mis-match way

fitting in with you and blending

some days the texture is smooth,

where she stops nobody knows

other days the texture scrapes like a fall on summer-time rocky top

open and raw challenging itself to heal

but whatever day comes your way

you always choose i do.

i do too.

i choose i do every day. you committ to loving me every day this year and then some.

for that i thank  you and learn from

a year with you. 

mary

lately God has been teaching me so much about myself and i have had a few of these thoughts running around in my head. they aren't a great sum-up of all i have been thinking about but they are easy to remember

1. "if you judge people, even for a split second, you miss loving them where they are"

2. "what is GOD'S PLAN for mylife -- not what is God's plan for MY LIFE!!!"


3. "take what you do seriously, take YOURSELF very lightly."


4. Is God the CENTER of my life or is he a supporting character I have put in my movie? hmmm...
that's a scary thought!


5. miss the little things and you have missed everything.


this is what I have been thinking on lately--trying to be a less Martha and more Mary every single day, Lord.

spring

i love to see this sunshine! every season opens up and i think--now, this one, this season, is my absolute favorite.

spring is no different--and SPRING wins one a break often. oh and cleaning! i am such a lucky girl that in the past few weeks i have gotten BOTH. here are some memorable moments of spring so far.




my SWEET parents drove all the way from T-town to come to the ballet--only to drive all the way back!!



deep sea fishing trip--gulf shores, AL

we caught so many of these red snapper! it wasn't in season so no fish for us, but they were fun to catch and release

very yummy food all week--this was taken at an Oyster House in Point Clear, AL

CLEANING

got this idea from Real Simple--cork board and tacks GREAT for belts and necklaces.

it is possibly SAD how much i love organizing.

So Far So Good Springtime.

love lately

things i'm lovin lately in no particular order

Road Trips with these people

Pier 1 Spring Time

"Set Fire to the Rain" is on REPLAY

Chamomile Tea - every night this tea relaxes me

Such a great read--thanks Elena!



while you were...dancing

It has been a while since I was able to post--for a couple of reasons, I have been away from the computer. Most of those reasons involve pointe-shoes, bruised toes, and extreme exhaustion, and others involve a lack of writing-inspiration!

While I still haven't quite recovered from the spring ballet, I do feel so much more relaxed after its completion, and i'm getting my inspiration back.  Wow, it is spring break, I just taught my last baby ballet class for 2 weeks (wow, I hope they remember their recital dance when I return), I get to see amazing friends this weekend, amazing family in the coming days, and I am beyond excited.



in the past few days, this is what has happened:



this one got married



this one turned 23

this one turned 17

this one visited

this one slept on my pillow

oh! and allie and i managed to talk on the phone for a consecutive 5 hours.   should have met each other in chattanooga instead...

life is good! until next time!! em

 





oh happy day

Please read sweet Laura's blog to see what Happy things happened today.  God is so good, as is his timing and plan.  Allie has been such a faithful heart these past few months and it is truly encouraging.

http://justlookupward.blogspot.com/

forgiving love

currently obsessed with this song and Chris August in general. Every time this song comes on the radio, I am reminded of how forgiven I am and how we are called to forgive others. sometimes in my life i get caught up in the shoulda woulda couldas and get legalistic about love. i think, i CAN'T possibly forgive him for dropping the clothes there again, or I TOLD you to take the dishes to the sink, or PLEASE don't even try and talk to me about THAT, or YOU know that i need this right now, and every other silly sin I can pin on someone else...

then i hear this verse in my head.

oops.

7x70 times

I'm no mathematician

but I haven't reached it yet

there is no limit to God's grace and forgiveness

and being like Him there should be no limit to ours.

a very wise man (my father) told me once that the most successful  people  have the shortest memories.  counterintuitve? perhaps. but the point is, you have to forgive and FORGET, wipe that slate clean and move on. hit the reset button and put the right in front of the left.

forgiveness its a beautiful thing. without it, think where we would all be. take me one step closer to that unconditional love stuff please.

oh and don't forget about forgiving yourself. xoxo Em

brown paper packgages tied up with string. . .

happy v-day to all my favorite bloggers! love today!

hopeFUL romantic food

grew up on R&H and believing breaking out into a smash-hit musical number was completely natural. and why not. here's to hopeFUL romantics everywhere.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

My Fair Lady--this is where my idea of making an entrance. One of the reasons I love the DG house so much, GREAT spiral/making an entrance staircase.

"Nothing comes from Nothing, Nothing ever could."

Chocolate! A girl's best friend.

"Kissing the War Goodbye" never gets old.

"Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy" What a Heart Throb.

Meet Me in St. Louis--a perfect Christmas movie and all the time movie.

visits

there have definitely been some moments this month where i was homesick/missed being in a familiar place/wanted to be home for a performance, or birthday party. and there will probably be more of those moments later in the month--

but last night God sent me the sweetest little surprise called a "visit from jen rose." see her in the beautiful blue dress here:

britt blay also came to hang out with us--and it is so so wonderful when you can just pick up right where you left off, which is how i ALWAY feel with these girls.  it doesn't matter if it has been months or days, it just seems like last minute we were together. i am so grateful for that and for them. jen is such an encourager & so fun to be with. her life is full of love and she loves so many people and so many things. her interests vary from broadway to insurance, if you can imagine that, & its so fun to listen to her talk. Also got a phone call from Beth who always drains the phone battery (thankfully) which was another blessing. I told jen last night, i said, "If Beth walked in that door I don't think I would even scream.  I would just hug her and say, hey, where'd you go?" she's always here!

i also got to see this little cutie

on Sunday. isnt' she beautiful? and getting married!!

so whether you are far from home or right there, don't miss the chance to visit with those you love and be thankful for that time! i am going to quit my bellyaching and watch for more chances for unexpected visits with those i LOVE. xoxo Em



happy february birthdays. lots of love this month.

if you know me you know that my february is full of birthdays.  it is weird how worked up about february i get-let me be honest. so instead of fretting over what to get who, and when i can deliver said gift, and how much they will like it, (do you love my worrying, im a natural...) i decided i would pay a little love to my february birthdays early, just to get everyone revved up for this wonderful month. please don't feel lumped together (i have been accused, by ahem, KURT) just feel loved this month in the month of L-O-V-E.

11



Allie



Allison Ferris is many things, but most of all, she is the kind of friend you pray God will give you someday.  There when you need her the most, in the best or worst situations. Not afraid to hold your hand when you are sick, able to listen when you need kind truth, and ready to enjoy life to the very fullest.  Her heart makes Valentines Day look like a drop in the bucket on the love scale.  She loves the people God has given her in her life, and if y'all are just now being introduced, give her 2 minutes and she will have made a connection with you over your mother's brother's sister-in-law, and y'all will be on your way to a sincere friendship.

16



Carrie (Momma) on the Left

I came up with a phrase the other day "Keep Calm and Carrie On."  When I get into a tough situation, I think about those words and think about what Momma would do.  As cheesy as it sounds, I want to grow up into her.  She amazes me with her ability to take any everyday thing and make it SO much fun.  She doesn't wait for the big party, or Christmas, or a wedding to enjoy herself. She has fun everyday.  Whether she is playing Words-With-Friends (which she is really good at. don't play her if you value your time/life. you can't beat her) or working at Parkgate, she is just having the time of her life.  Her life is not a walk in the park.  She is raising 6 kids (yes, I still count) and has had a life of getting spilled on, long nights sitting up with stomach-bug-children, going without so that her kids could have more, and just all-out-sacrificing for the ones she loves. But the thing is, she doesn't make it look like work. She LOVES life, the Lord, and gives everything and all the glory to Him.   

19

B-Ri

Ever since my brother Brian could talk, he had this habit of saying things under his breath.  He was always making funny comments so that a few people could hear.  He has the best sense of humor for a kid who is the youngest boy of 6.  He is tough & sweet at the same time.  I doubt he EVER reads this so I do not mind saying that he is going to make some lucky girl a hech of a man some day.  I am so thankful for our relationship and so proud to be his big sister.  He is truly like half of my heart.

20

Elena

Everytime I get to spend time with Lana or talk to her, or laugh with her, I end up just being like, Oh MY goodness she's the greatest! She has just a fun and refreshing way about her--so care-free and bubbly dancing on the beach type of person. But if you were to get in a bind, have her number on speed dial.  TRUST her with your life. You will not be disappointed.  She is Deborah-trained and her own brand of spunky fun that just makes her very special in every way. 

Kurt



What can I say about this guy? I think the picture honestly says it all.  Its how much I love him, that much.  Its where I would move with him (I feel like Ive already done that). Its how he makes me feel: free & easy.  Its how much fun he loves/needs to have on a daily basis. Its how much he doesn't care about what other people think. Its how hard he tries to be good at the things he signed up for in life. Its how seriously (not very) he takes himself.

If there was one human on this earth more opposite than me, I would really like to meet that person.  I really would. 

But the thing is, I am pretty darn sure I already have. God dropped him into my life, I fell in love, then I married him, now I am doing this crazy thing called living with him & trying to figure out what it all means...

What Madden football is, what tea he likes to drink and when, and what he is going to say or what story he is going to tell next.  Its kinda like that favorite CD that you have? and you can predict which track comes next because you listen to it on the daily. Its like that. One song finishes and already you are hearing the notes of another song. Not your song, but one you know by heart and can sing without missing a beat. 



Thank goodness for February.

oh well.

sometimes you just gotta laugh and say oh well:

-princess Ariel complete with red wig etc. this morning at Highland Villiage--that was ME. running around in a 2 piece finned costume at 3/4 year old birthday party. entertainment.

-wore two different socks to dinner tonight, knowingly. why would i care?

-applied acrylic nails for 5 dollars and proceeded to glue all my fingers together and then had to tear all the nails off because i felt like i had claws.

-mailed an envelope with three stamps instead of one-just to make sure it got there. who knew there was such a thing as too many stamps? return to sender.

-made cookies at midnight 2 nights ago,  just for the dough and then burnt the whole thing and ended up crying on the kitchen floor about how kurt didn't appreciate my love of chocolate.

-have been driving on empty for the past 2 days, hoping that Kurt would take my car out and get me gas. it hasn't happened yet.

-ate at waffle house on thursday night because we didn't have milk or bread because i hadn't been to the store in approxmately 2 weeks.

-told kurt that the basil ganglia was obviously that dangley thing in the back of your throat. wrong. its in the brain.

-wore two different pointe shoes today, without even knowing it.

-verging on running out of clothes because the laundry is piling up.

& you know what all that is okay.  if there is anything this far-from-perfect wonderful guy has taught me

scared?

its that life isn't perfect and it wouldn't be fun if it was.

 he confronted me the other day with something that really hit home.  he said, emily, look me in the eye and tell me you know youre not perfect. so i looked at him and said, kurt, OBVIOUSLY i know im not perfect. i am so far from it.  he said ya, but you honestly believe that if you try hard enough, you could be.

wow. that hurts! i think that a lot of times that is true. marriage. so here i am laughing and inviting all of you to too, at my silly silly mistakes and praising God that he is big enough - and strong enough - and has got the whole world perfectly in his hands. xoxo Em

need your help!

i am planning on painting our bathroom in the very near future. i am very excited about this new project.  i LOVE my projects. but the only trouble is i can't decide on  a color. i am between a java color, a sage green, or a subtle yellow. what do you think?

my counter top can be kind of cluttered at times-but i try to keep all my colors coordinating. . .burnt orange & yellow with some brown

the shower curtain, as you can see in the mirrors reflection is a pretty light green. it also has creme and brown at the bottom



shower curtain again



love my "n" hand towel that adds some funky pink & orange to the mix. really brings out the colors in my taylor grocery print.

my green grass

so thankful tonight for the blessings in my life
and hoping you are too
for the blessings on your side of the fence

some might say that its always better over there
if only, if only, if only
if i can make it there i can make it anywhere
if only, if only, if only,
this test would pass by
the summer would come
on the beach i will lay all day in the sun
and then we will be
as happy as we
forget all the worries to come.

but this side of the season looks different i say
if only, if only, if only,
there were but 26 hours in a day
if only if only if only,
the paper would pass
then my patch of grass would surely
be brighter
& bolder.

seasons of years & seasons of love
they come & they go as they please
just as you arrive
they take a left dive
and leave you alone on your knees

Lord, Lord, here I am
now what do I do?
do i merely sit here and wait on you?
yes?
thats what you want me to say?
well, i've never quite thought of it that way.

but who will secure my future to come?
who will take care of the moon & the sun?
if it weren't for me, surely they'd fall
& leave earth like a giant 8 ball
shooting across the stars in the sky
without watchful eyes-
surely they'd fall with out me.

they won't?
you mean that you've got
your hand on that spot
that holds it all together?
yes?
that's what you say?
well i've never quite thought of it that way.

well okay.
if that's what you say
then all i can do is just stay
just stay
just stay.
just stay and sit.
Can I throw a fit?
& resist your power with great resentment?
no?
contentment?
that's what you say?
well i've never quite thought of it that way.

The Taggart Times: Birthday Bash x3

how cute is my friend rachel & this couple? i mean the cake is designed after her blog. you have to love this precious girl! besides she is january bday like me, and another reason not to "blame it on january"

The Taggart Times: Birthday Bash x3: "This weekend is slammed full of birthday celebrations. Yesterday was my birthday, and tomorrow is Casey's birthday. Th..."

you know you are. . .

dancing too much when this is what plays in your head at night & you find yourself dreaming of pirouettes. even if you are not into this, watch! truly beautiful!

tattle tales

oh baby ballet.  the stories i could tell on you.

today, little gracie who stands on number 8 looked up at me with great concern in her eyes.  she said, the girl who stands on the L , teacher, she is not hewah (here) today.

i smiled to myself, realizing that she meant number 7 & realizing she meant her friend sophie. her mistake was cute, honest, and to her that 7 might as well be an L or countless other things.

for a 3 year old, its miraculous to observe anything terribly concrete & hold on to it from week to week.  what about for us?  what are the things in my life that are really 7s but I have them turned into upside down L's.

God probably looks at me all the time and shakes his head, smiling at my silly mistake. i know i'll get there one day and see that the things I had viewed as problems were really blessings & the answers to the real problems were right in front of my eyes all along.

"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."

1 Corinthians 13:12

dreamy!

kiss me or not--Thompson Square--credit to @ http://www.bethsdailybeef.blogspot.com/ for the video. Helps me fight the 2 o clock crazies. 

can you imagine