TWO YEARS?!?!?!

Did I just read that right?? 

I haven't blogged since May 2012 - almost two whole years ago??? 

I would say that can't be true - but I know it is! When people say "life happens," I totally know what they mean now.  Some days I don't even feel like I have time to breathe before I hit the bed to (hopefully) rest and do it all again the next day. 

Thomas and I have been married for about a year and a half now, and we went to our first marriage conference this weekend.  Our awesome Sunday School leaders, Scott and Dawn, told us about it, and we were the only ones from our Young Married class that went! It was a great little getaway, and we heard from some wise people about having the right balance of our mind, spirit and body and what that means for our marriage and for our relationship with Christ! 

(More on the conference later.)  

During the session on Spirit, we talked about the fruits of the spirit, and how they only come from being filled with The HOLY Spirit! The fruit that stood out to me was Self Control.  In so many areas of my life, I have been feeling out of control - eating, spiritual life, time, time with Thomas, housekeeping, etc.  And while I know that God is in control over my life and has His hand in everything, I need some discipline in my life! That is what I will be working on - discipline over my diet, my schedule, my time with the LORD, my time with Thomas, my time with family and friends, and my attitude at work.  These are all things that, with the grace of Jesus, will be infinitely better with some self-discipline.

Readers that I know and love and strangers alike, will you pray for me?  Pray that I will be blessed with the discipline and diligence from the Lord so that I can get my mind, spirit, and body in order the way God wants them to be, and work to listen to Him and figure out how I can bless others and show Jesus to them.  I hope to use this blog to share with you my journeys and use it as another measure of discipline - you can't argue with "Last post, May 2012!"  

One of my goals that I set at the beginning of the year was to keep a regular prayer journal.  I'm a much better writer than I am speaker, so I can get all the things out I want to say to God on paper a lot better.  So tell me, how can I pray for you?? I'm trying to develop my prayer life and my relationship with the best friend I've ever had, Jesus Christ, and I would love for Him to bless you along the way! Comment on here and I will add you to my prayer list! 

Galatians 5:22 - 23 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

A HOMEOWNER 1/4 of the way through the 24 Day Challenge!

I'm sorry I haven't been updating each day like I said I would.  I promise, I have a good GREAT excuse....

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!! 

We put our offer in on this house almost two months ago, and the process has been going on since then.  We were supposed to close on the 30th of April, but that did not happen.  Let me tell you what's NOT easy - securing a home loan when you are fresh out of college and your fiance doesn't have a credit score because he's been responsible and hasn't used credit his entire life!! Word to the wise that are still in college: get a credit card.  Don't go crazy with it and spend more than you can afford, but buy a couple of tanks of gas a month and pay it off.  You need credit to buy a house or a car - it's important! (Unless you have $100K lying around, in which case don't worry about the credit card)

We FINALLY got the call saying our loan had been cleared to close on Friday at about 11 in the morning.  They told us then that we were closing at the attorney's office in Cumming at 4:00 that afternoon.  I left school and flew up to Gainesville to meet Thomas, and we made it only a few minutes after 4.  We signed our life away, and left as HOMEOWNERS! While it is a scary feeling to owe someone tens of thousands of dollars, it is an amazing feeling to have a place to live that is your own.  We are so excited to not be paying rent to anyone, and to have all the space we have! 

I'll put up some pictures later, when we take some with the good camera.  I have some phone pictures, but they don't do it justice! :) 

With all the craziness that went on this weekend, I still tried pretty hard to stay on my clean eating plan for the challenge.  We went out to eat with my grandparents after the closing, and went to O'Charleys.  I chose what I thought was the healthiest option on the 2 for $20 menu.  However, I was wrong.  I could only eat about 1/4 of my grilled chicken breast and pasta because it was smothered in cheese and the pasta was soaked in butter.  After eating clean about 95% of the time for the past month or so, this did not even taste good to me.  I left all my leftovers with Thomas.  I also cheated and had a small celebratory hot fudge sundae :)  Other than that, I think I did okay.  I'm back on track now.  It's so much easier during the week because I'm in charge of all my meals.  When I'm away from home, I'm kind of at the mercy of what everyone else is doing.  Today has definitely been a good day, eating wise.  I had my Probiotic Restore this morning, and for breakfast I had two delicious hard boiled eggs.  I love them! I could eat them DO eat them every day.  My snack was some yummy strawberries and blueberries (antioxidants, anyone?) and my lunch will be some tuna with a touch of mayo and a chopped boiled egg and some baby carrots on the side.  I truthfully feel SO much better when I am eating clean and healthy.  

So far, I am down to 172.5 lbs! 2.5 pounds lost so far.  I put on a size 12 shorts on Saturday, and they were falling off all day! It was a great feeling.  Now that I'm back on track with my eating, and will have more time to exercise this week, I can't wait to report my halfway results on Day 12!!! 

Stay tuned! 

24 Day Challenge: Day 2 and 3

The Challenge is going very well!  I have been sticking to the clean eating (which I've already started, especially since my mom started the challenge 24 days ago!) - except for the miniature piece of cake at the Teacher Appreciation luncheon today! - and I do feel a lot better! I've been eating boiled eggs, tuna with a literal pinch of mayo, and TONS of grilled chicken and vegetables.  I have truthfully not missed simple carbs at all the past three days, which is pretty amazing.  I also already (believe it or not) feel a little bit smaller, too.  I will weigh on day 6, so we will see the progress then.  


Stay tuned! 

24 Day Challenge - Day ONE!

So today I began my challenge! Let's just say I didn't get started off on the right foot this morning due to oversleeping! Because of that, I didn't have ample time to drink my fiber drink.  The fiber drink is not.....hmm, how can I say this?...the epitome of deliciousness.  I also have a problem just swallowing things without tasting them, so it wasn't the best thing in the world.  I honestly could only drink half.  I then tried to drink my Green Monster smoothie for breakfast, but I didn't wait the full 30 minutes.  This made my stomach a little upset, so I'll know better tomorrow! 
I was in kindergarten today, so we ate lunch super early.  Therefore, I skipped my mid-morning snack.  For lunch, I had chicken, brown rice, black beans, and corn, and a bunch of water.  My afternoon pick-me-up was half a Spark drink and some carrots and cucumbers.  For my workout, I did the Lean Arms Pyramid (see below).  I truthfully haven't worked out in about 3 weeks, and it kicked my butt! I also did about 15 minutes on the bike.  My post-workout snack was 2 hard boiled eggs - yum! For dinner, I'm having grilled chicken and some steamed veggies, with maybe a little bit of brown rice.  I'm thinking this will be my nightly menu for the next 24 days! 


Let me know if you have any questions about AdvoCare or the 24 Day Challenge!! I would love for you to join me! Email me at cejack4420@northgeorgia.edu - mention my blog and I will give you a 15% discount! :) 

Lean Arms Pyramid:  Do these with minimal (10 seconds or less) of rest between each one! 

10 push-ups

20 tricep dips 

30 bicep curls

40 second plank

50 tummy tucks 

40 second plank

30 bicep curls

20 tricep dips

10 push- ups

Tummy Tucks - I got in elevated plank position on a bench and used my abs to alternate bringing each knee up to my chest 50 times - feel the burn for sure!

And the CHALLENGE begins!!

Tomorrow, I will be starting Day 1 of the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge!  After seeing my friends and family member's results, it is needless to say that I am VERY excited!!  I'm going to use this blog as my "Challenge Diary" over the next 24 days, and hopefully it will become a helpful guide if any of YOU want to join in and do the 24 Day Challenge sometime soon!  I'm going to put it all out there - my weight, my measurements, my before and after pictures - all of it.  Each day, I'll summarize what I ate and what I did if I made it to the gym.  One-quarter of the way through, I'll update you on pounds lost and any inches lost (Day 6). Halfway through (Day 12), I'll update you again and probably include some photos. This will be after the cleanse phase is done.  Three-quarters of the way through (Day 18), I'll do another pounds/inches update, and of course you'll get the FULL update at the end (Day 24).
I've been working out and eating a much more healthful diet since I moved back home after graduation in December, and I'm almost down to the lowest I've been since junior year of college. I've seen the Challenge work for people like Dana and Danielle, who have been eating clean and working out consistently for years, so I know that it's not one of those fads where you lose weight from an obvious, giant lifestyle change.  I really think it will work for me as well.  If nothing else, it will detoxify my body and make me feel better, as well as get me even more in the habit of eating clean and avoiding simple carbs!


Here's the thing: my wedding dress is scheduled to ship out on the last day of the Challenge, meaning I should have it a week after that.  I would love nothing more than to go try it on and have it be wayyyyy too big.  That would be awesome!


I hope you'll follow along with me! I will update on how I feel as well as how I look.  Please let me know if you have any questions about AdvoCare!


Here are my "BEFORE" stats and a picture (excuse my appearance, I had been at Six Flags sweating all day.)


Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175
Body Fat %: Around 27-28%
Chest: 40 in
Waist: 32.5 in
Hips: 41 in
Thighs: 22 in
Arms: 12.5 in
Total inches: 182.5 inches
(These measurements are what I can remember - I will update if I find my more accurate ones!)

 I just noticed that I have terrible posture!! Add that to the list of things I need to work on!! 

GIANT UPDATES!

Where has the time gone??? I finally figured out how to get into this account after battling gmail vs. google accounts vs. North Georgia email.  What a nightmare! But I figured it out, logged in, and the dashboard greets me by saying: "Last post: July 31, 2011."  WHAT??!! That was almost a YEAR ago! I want need to get back into blogging, especially with all the things going on in my life! 


Here are the highlights of what's happened since I last posted (in order of when they happened, not importance!)


1) I moved back to Dahlonega to finish out my undergraduate career.  I had a fantastic last semester, and I was so sad to leave the place I called home for four and a half years.  North Georgia offered me an amazing college experience, and I would not trade it for anything.  I made amazing friendships that I know will last a lifetime, met my future husband (more on that in #4!), and got a great education that will serve me well as I work to do God's will in my life. 

2) I changed my life plan! Well, when I say "I," I really mean GOD.  All along the plan has been for me to go to optometry school and become an eye doctor.  Sophomore year, I changed my major from Biology to Spanish.  Little did I know that that was a stepping stone in another direction! This past semester, as I was counting down the days to graduation, I was absolutely dreading the application process to optometry schools.  The more I thought about moving out of state (probably to Puerto Rico!), the more I was discouraged and disheartened.  I knew in my heart that what I wanted in life was not to saddle myself (and Thomas) with $200,000 in debt, and spend four more years of my life consumed with school, just to have a career that I was not sure I would enjoy.  Through a lot of prayer and talking with my loved ones, I knew that God had a different plan for me....TEACHING Spanish! I'm good at it, I have a passion for it, and I can use that position as a way to end ignorance and encourage students to open their hearts and minds to people from other cultures.  


3) I GRADUATED!! I walked across the stage on December 10, 2011, and became an alumna of North Georgia College & State University.  It was a pretty good feeling :) 

Papaw, Mom, Me, Mema, and Dad on graduation day! 

4) I GOT ENGAGED!!!! Thomas proposed to me on November 29th, the night after the very last day of college classes.  Talk about cutting it close for a candlelighting! ;) He made the proposal everything I wanted, including fireworks! It was so special and I will never forget it.  I LOVE HIM!!! We are going to be an awesome husband and wife.  We are getting married on July 6th, and I. Can. Not. Wait!! 

My beautiful ring! It is perfect! 

Engagement pictures by Steven Orwig

My candlelighting with my sweet sisters! 

5) I moved back home to Jefferson and have been substitute teaching.  I LOVE it...most days.  I am loving being at home with my family!! 

6) We are buying a house!! Hopefully.  We are scheduled to close in ONE week, provided we meet one last condition for the mortgage company.  I have been trusting God with this all along.  He has provided for us so far, and I know He will continue to provide! 

7) As of TODAY, I became an AdvoCare distributor.  I will be doing another post about that tomorrow! They have amazing products, and I have watched my mom, Dana,Aunt Mary, and Erin all use the 24 Day Challenge by AdvoCare.  They have all lost pounds AND inches.  My mom lost has lost 8 lbs so far, and she's only halfway through! Erin lost 10 lbs in 10 days.  It is not claiming to be fat loss, but I'll explain more about that tomorrow! I am starting my challenge in 8 days, on May 1st.  If you want to participate with me, get a free t-shirt, and the chance to win $300, email me at cejack4420@northgeorgia.edu and I will give you details! It is so easy, and will lead to a healthier YOU and a healthier lifestyle for you to enjoy life! 

I am truly going to start using this as a way to keep everyone updated on life, the home-buying process, planning the wedding, and my 24 Day Challenge and quest for healthier living.  

Love you ALL! 

Adventures in Crafting!!

So after Erin got me hooked on Pinterest, my mom and I have gotten really inspired to get crafty! There are SO many good ideas on there! I have made some awesome new hair accessories, and Mom has made me 3 awesome new dresses! (Pics of those later)
So today I would like to share my latest creations:

(Sorry for the terrible photo, my camera is about 5 years old - which is TOO old these days!)
I also wanted to share some instructions on how to make these, because they are REALLY easy!!
I'll work on adding pictures, I didn't think of it until after I was done!

For the Pinwheel Clips:

You will need: 

• two different, coordinating fabrics (you can also use just one, but two is more fun!)
• Scissors 
• Some type of adhesive - I used some Dry-Bond adhesive sheets that I got at a thrift store for 25 cents, which isn't the greatest for fabric, but it works okay.  Anything that will let you fuse your two fabrics together will work! 
• A bottle of Fray-Check (glue like stuff that keeps it from fraying) 
• Needle and Thread 
• Some type of hair clip - snap clip, alligator clip, thick bobby pin, whatever you have! 
• Embellishments - buttons, pearls, jewels, brads, whatever! 
• Hot glue gun and hot glue

Okay now for the how-to:

1. Cut out a square of each of your fabrics.  I used about 3" square pieces, I think. 
2. Fuse them together using the method of your choice.  If you're using Dry-Bond, place on square of fabric face up on the sticky sheet, and rub it until all of the adhesive transfers to the back of the fabric.  Place your other fabric face up on the sticky side of the fabric.  Rub them together until they are good and stuck! Then iron them lightly to get rid of any wrinkles.
3. Use the fray check along the edges to get rid of any frays.  I didn't have any fray-check, so that's why mine look a little shabbier than others I've made and posted on Facebook.  
4. From the CORNERS of the square, cut a straight line towards the middle.  Don't cut all the way to the center, but you can get kinda close. You should now have four foldable "triangles" attached at the center.
5. Decide which way you are going to fold the pinwheel.  Which way you fold depends on what you want your pinwheel to look like.  For example, for the seersucker pinwheel, I put the navy blue facing down and then folded in, so I had more seersucker showing.  
6. Next, fold the corners in, one by one, and sew to the center.  Make sure you pick the same corner on each triangle to fold in so you get the correct pinwheel shape. As you fold the corners in, they will overlap in the center and be sewn together.  
7. Hot glue your embellishment in the center of the pinwheel to cover up the threads.
8. Hot glue your hair pin to the back. 
9. Clip the pinwheel in your hair and get complimented!! 

The Flower hair clip is a little easier - No Sewing! And no fusing any fabric together.  Here's a picture of the materials you'll need: 

I used about 7 or 8 of the flower cut outs for mine.

Here's how I did it: 

1. Cut 8-10 squares of the fabric you want to use.  It should be either a solid or a fabric that has the print on both sides.  Cut the little flower shapes out of the squares - they do NOT have to all be the same! 
2. Cut a small circle out of felt.  The bigger your circle, the more flower petals you are going to need! 
3. Take a flower shape.  Fold it in half, petal to petal.  Put a small bit of glue in the center (after it's folded in half) and fold in half again.  Repeat - it should now be a little cone shape! 
4. Glue the tip of the cone onto the center of your felt circle.  
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with all your petals, working your way around the felt until it is completely covered.  You'll have to play around with them before you glue to make sure you like how it looks! 
6. Add your embellishments to the center - I used the little buttons that come with button down shirts when you buy them! 
7. OR - You can continue folding petals and adding them until it is more of a fluff ball hair pin.  I did one of these as well with solid fabric, and it is really cute! 
8. Glue the felt circle to your hair pin. 
9. Pin it in your hair and enjoy saying "Oh, I made it!" when people ask you where you got it! 

I hope these are helpful directions.  I feel like the next two weeks I have before I have to go back to school are going to be filled with crafting! If you don't have a Pinterest - go get one! Comment and I will invite you to it! Also leave any comments with any questions!

Caroline 

Saving up a storm

First of all, I was so excited to have some workout partners today! Erin and Abby came over and we Body Rocked! It was hard, but we did all four rounds - ahh!! If you go to www.bodyrock.tv, it's the "Fierce Friday" workout if you'd like to try it! Working out is always more fun when you have people to do it with you. 

This afternoon Mom and I did our weekly couponing trip.  We were pretty successful today! At Publix, we got about 60 items (that includes 3 ten packs of mechanical pencils) for about $29! That's 50 cents per item folks!! At Kroger, we got 76 items for $112 (after tax), with a retail value of $215 - that's right, we saved over $100!! And we definitely have enough food to last us for a while! I was pretty proud of all the work I put in organizing the coupons, going through the ads and figuring out what we had coupons for that was on a good sale, and making sure we were getting the best price.  I'm kind of OCD about it, so it takes me about 2 hours to get everything sorted out and perfect! But here's the thing - it is not very hard at all and you can save TONS of money! So, thanks in part to my cousin Dana, I am pretty sure I am going to start a mini-business of couponing classes!! I went to a coupon class the other night, and I already knew as much as the lady leading it! So be on the lookout for updates about that :) 

Tomorrow is another day of Body Rocking! And trying to heat a little healthier than I did today ;) 

Wonderful Weekend!

Woohoo! Finally getting better at this blogging thing! I need to get my wonderful big, Kristin, to help with a few more things on here :) She was featured on a website that shows all the Alpha Gam blogs around - super cool!
So this weekend was filled with two of my favorite things: Thomas Mott and Alpha Gam.  I got to hang out with Thomas all weekend, and Saturday was spent with my amazing sisters doing RTS (Recruitment Training School) to prepare for rush! I was a little sad because I won't be an active sister for recruitment this year - but hey, I'll be an alumnae! So I'll still get to help.  Our VP Recruitment, Steph, is doing an amazing job and is so organized and prepared already!! I can't wait to see the wonderful group of girls that I know they will recruit in January!

Sunday I woke up not feeling well at all, so I didn't go back up to Dahlonega for the second day.  Thomas's precious nephew, Cayden, turned 3 on Sunday and his parents had a little party for him.  He is the cutest three year old I have ever seen! I want to just steal him.  I'll try to find a picture of him to post on here - he's adorable!

Friday before I left I did another Body Rock workout - I was pouring sweat but I finished the whole thing! I took Saturday off, and last night Thomas and I did P90X Ab Ripper.  I truly already felt a little bit stronger! Then I did another Body Rock workout today and that feeling vanished!! But I really pushed and did my best, so I was okay with that.  Erin will be body rockin' with me tomorrow and I am really excited! Kristin and I have been reporting our results to each other each night, but it will be nice to have a partner! I really feel like I'm making progress on this goal and can't wait to start seeing my body change for the better!

Please comment if you guys have any healthy recipe ideas or fun cardio workouts - I think I need a little more of that to burn some fat, besides just strength training!
I'll let you know if Erin and I are successful tomorrow!
Buenas noches!

Getting better at this

Woo! Two blog posts in two days! What is the world coming to??
So I had kind of a breakthrough today.  I did Body Rock yesterday (which you know if you read yesterday!), and today I was  am SO SORE. Muscles are aching that I didn't even know existed.  I'm not joking when I say bending over to put my shoes on hurt like the devil.  I was also feeling a little bit under the weather today.  So normally I would've come home and just rested and not worked out. But before I went to bed, I forced myself to do some sort of workout.  Let's face it, I wouldn't have even made it through one round of body rock today, so I just did cardio instead.  I did some Zumba with my sister! Some people don't think it's a real workout, but it definitely is.  You get your heart rate WAY up pretty fast because you are constantly moving! Plus it's fun to do, which is a must.  I found this quote from Ryan Reynolds, who got really buff for a movie he was in:

"If you hate your workout, you're not going to do it."

SO TRUE.  So I'm going to try body rock again tomorrow and see if I can make it without dying.  Let's hope.
I'm also doing well on my diet, too! We went out to eat tonight, so I limited myself to a very small portion.  It still wasn't terribly healthy, but it was okay.  Better than my favorite Mexican dish - Burrito con Crema.  Its a deep fried chicken burrito with cheese dip and sour cream on top.  Let's face it, it's delicious.  Let's also face it, it's probably about a bazillion calories.  For a snack today, I had what is becoming one of my favorite things, so I will share it with you all! I got some plain Greek yogurt (NOT flavored!), tossed in some fresh blueberries, and mixed it all up with one packet of Truvia sweetener.  So tasty! Try it sometime this week! :)

Two more Motrin PM and it's off to bed for me!

Caroline

Terrific Tuesday

Good job me - I haven't blogged in a month.  I'm so lame! I don't even have an excuse, because it's summer and I'm not working.  I just haven't.

So I've been trying to lose weight this summer.  I've been semi successful - I've lost about 8 pounds so far.  But that's a far cry from my goal of 30 pounds.  I've been working out, but not consistently.  I've been eating pretty healthy most of the time, but going out to eat (which my family does a LOT) always kills me - I never make good choices :(  But this week I have been doing pretty well.  Someone told me this weekend they thought I was "taking the easy way out" towards working out and pushing myself.  Let's face it, I was ticked.  So instead of just being mad and not doing anything about it, I decided to work a little harder.  My awesome big, Kristin, blogged a while back about Body Rock, a free website that posts high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, workout schedules, nutrition tips, and has a community of "Body Rockers" that support each other and offer advice as well.  Well I tried it today - it's AWESOME! The workout was only 18 minutes long, but I literally collapsed on my floor, dripping in sweat, when I was finished.  I definitely had to modify some moves because the leader, Zuzana, is in out of control shape - I'm talking probably ZERO percent body fat. See her picture below!  But I finished it, and I did better than I thought I would, reps-wise.  If you are looking for a home workout, you should try it! It's definitely challenging.  I'm going to try really hard to do it every other day, at the very least. So like Kristin said, if you talk to me, ask me if I've done my body rock workout that day!!

This week I also planned out some meals for my whole family.  I don't think my mom likes cooking very much, and as a result we eat out a lot - very unhealthy.  So I looked through the Weight Watchers cookbook I got at a thrift store for 50 cents and found a recipe for Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken.  I made it, and it was delicious! If you want the recipe, I can send it to you.  It's SO easy, and only 6 points plus per serving.  I also made a WW version of chocolate layer cake (3 PP), which was alright, but definitely tasted like diet food.  Tonight, we had a slow cooker supper of enchilada casserole from All*You Magazine and it was pretty tasty as well (7 PP)! On my Stumble Upon, a recipe from Bethenny Frankel came up for low fat fudge muffins.  I made those as well, and they are AWESOME! I made a few modifications because her recipes are 100% natural and vegan and stuff, and we didn't have all the ingredients.  But I got to use my Truvia sweetener and applesauce instead of butter.  They taste just like the full fat version :) So I am getting used to cooking and I really like it! Hint: it's so much easier when you have a plan!!

I was also pretty excited about couponing this week.  We got all the ingredients for our meals this week at Publix, along with some snacks and stuff for lunch, all for $75!! That is really cheap for a family of five with a brother who eats everything in sight when he gets off the night shift each morning!

So I will try to update more about my adventures in Body Rocking, cooking, and couponing :)
Now I'm going to take a motrin pm (which I got with couponing) and go to bed, because I know I'm going to be VERY sore tomorrow!

Caroline  

Things I'm Thankful for Thursday

So basically I am terrible at blogging.  Even when I have free time.  I think it's because I never made it a habit.  It takes like 26 consecutive days to make a habit and like 3 to break it.  Or something like that.  WHATEVER - I'm horrible at making things a habit in general.  But I will try - harder than I have been.
Okay, so I missed my go-to "What I'm Loving Wednesday," so I just made up "Things I'm Thankful for Thursday." If it's already a real thing and I completely stole it, I am very sorry! But here goes:

1. I am extremely thankful that I got to be a part of this wedding:

Miranda Trott Cantrell (Finally!!) is my first little in Alpha Gam.  She is such a blessing to me.  We started out cheerleading together on the North Georgia squad, but she didn't go through rush the same year I did.  I was sad at first, but I am also thankful she didn't, because she got to be my little the next year! I hadn't planned on her being my little, I had just planned on her being an Alpha Gam (and so had she!), but I decided to take her as my little - Best. Decision. Ever.  She is definitely one of my very best friends and I love her so much.  She is so fun to be around.  I also cheered with her husband (so weird to say that!!), Benson.  We pick on each other a lot, but I love him too.  He is an awesome guy and he and Miranda definitely belong together.  Miranda called me right after he proposed (I was the first one she called!!) and said, "You know you're in my wedding right?"  And lucky me, on May 20th I got to stand beside her in a cute burnt orange dress and watch her marry her best friend.  I cried like a baby the whole ceremony.  We had so much fun throughout the week and at the wedding.  I love watching people that love each other commit to a lifetime with one another!!

2.  I am so thankful for this guy: 

His birthday is on Tuesday, and I'm very thankful that he was born!!  Thomas is so awesome, let's face it.  Recently I've just been reassured over and over again that he's "The One" :) So cheesy, I know, but I can't help it.  I got to spend a few days with him at his parents' house this past week, and it just filled my heart with so much joy to be around him, even though we didn't do that many activities.  We watched a lot of YouTube videos about politics and the current [sad/scary] state of our country, which sounds kind of boring, but it's pretty interesting.  Thomas is pretty passionate about researching those kinds of topics, and I'm thankful that he wants me to be informed and shares his knowledge with me!

3. I am thankful that my BFF is out of the hospital!

    Erin took her first pediatric nursing test of the summer yesterday (YUCK!) then went to visit her grandma in the mountains.  But she got sick really fast and had to go to the hospital (YUCK again!)! We were all pretty scared, because at first the doctors thought it was appendicitis and that meant emergency surgery! But, thankfully, it didn't come to that! The problem now is that they couldn't figure out the problem.  So she has to go see a gastrointestinal specialist to try and diagnose the problem.  But we are thankful that she is home and out of the hospital bed trying to eat lemon jell-o (third YUCK)!! Prayers would be appreciated for her!
Also Erin turned 22 last week, and I am so thankful that she was born my cousin and has become my best friend!

4.  I am thankful that summer is here and I get to spend lots of time with these amazing ladies, plus a few others that aren't in the picture:

I've known Erin for my whole life, and Abby (right) and Deenene (bottom) since sixth grade.  I am very thankful that we have all stayed great friends, and try to see each other every chance we get when we are home.  Deenene is in the Athletic Training program at UGA, and she got football as her fall sport! If you know Deenene (or read her blog that I linked up there!) then you know she is obsessed with football, so it is definitely an awesome opportunity that she is getting! The only downside is we probably won't see her at all once football season starts until the bowl games are over - lame. But it's okay because I get to hang out with her lots this summer because I am home! Abby and I are not only 10+-year friends, we're sorority sisters too! But Abby was in the Early Childhood Education program at North Georgia, so I basically never saw her during the year! But again, it's okay because we get to hang out a lot for the summer!

5.  I am thankful that I am HOME for the summer.  It's so good to take a break from school and work.  I really need to get a job for the summer, but I'm trying to give myself a few weeks of doing absolutely nothing.  I'm pretty sure you don't get those in the real world, so I might as well enjoy them while I can!!  Maybe I'll start looking next week :)

Ok I really will try to blog at least a few times a week.  I need to write a blog on things I have been doing, like couponing! Hello, it's awesome.  Mom and I spent $60 at Publix and CVS today...and saved $105! My 3 or 4 hours getting everything organized definitely paid off - $100 is a LOT of money!  New life goal: be an extreme couponer.  One lady on the TLC show got $1300 worth of groceries, and the store owed her 30 cents!!


Well I've been an insomniac lately, so I guess it would be good to try and get some rest for once.

Until next time,

Caroline

What I'm Loving Wednesday

So I'm linking up with Jamie again for

I like to write about things that are on my mind, but these little prompts are helping me get in the habit of blogging!
So this Wednesday...
I'm loving...that I do not have ANY classes tomorrow and my nice friend/classmate/coworker Leah is working for me tomorrow!! I am in desperate need of a day off to just rest for a while and get things done!

I'm loving....that tomorrow is also Alpha Gam's very first Barbeque Bash! We are really excited about it and I think we could raise a lot of money.  I love raising money for The Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation.  The foundation is a really great organization that supports so many things, like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, grants for sisters in times of crisis, and scholarships for sisters in college or graduate school (I plan on applying for one for optometry school!) Being the philanthropy chair was one of my favorite jobs.  Even though we don't raise an outrageous amount, we know that everything we raise is going to help people, and that's what really matters!

I'm loving...that next week is the LAST WEEK of classes before finals!! Hallelujah! This semester has been rough, and I am more than ready to finish it up!

I'm loving that...I actually cooked a pretty legit dinner tonight for Thomas and me! I made brown rice, peas, and raspberry chicken that actually turned out to be pretty tasty! I don't usually experiment (I'm a big recipe-follower) but I was pleased with these results :)

I'm loving...that Sunday is my awesome dad's birthday.  Let's face it, he's basically the best dad ever, and I owe a lot to him for the person I turned out to be.  He will be 44 years old! (Shhh...don't tell that I threw that out here!)

This is a perfect example of my dad! He is on the left, so nicely grabbing my boyfriend Thomas's chest during Thanksgiving at our house!

Hope everyone had a great Wednesday! If you're in town I expect to see you at the Barbeque Bash tomorrow at 6 p.m.!!!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

What I'm Loving Wednesday!
So technically I started this post last Wednesday and never posted it.  But I'm still loving all these things!
I'm good at lists :) It's my one true talent, it's often been said!  So here goes:
I'm loving.....my new Nine West nude ruffle high heels :) I feel like they're so stylish and "in!"  They look like these except they're nude colored and they are a little more strappy! I wore them tonight and I'm obsessed.  I was also about 6'2" :)

I'm loving.....that I got to represent my wonderful sorority at the Student Leadership Banquet last week.  It really was amazing to see so many leaders among the students at our school, and to honor the faculty and staff members who have helped shape them!
I'm loving.....that FORMAL is in 2 days!! I've been planning it and it's been stressful but really fun at the same time! I went shopping with Missy and Chandler and we all got a dress we LOVE at Ross! (Chan even got TWO!)  So needless to say we are all ready for a night of dressing up, dancing, and fun!
I'm loving......that there are 21 days left before we get out of school :) I am SO beyond ready for this semester to be over - two literature classes all in Spanish and analytical chemistry are not a joke!
I'm loving....that I'm getting my haircut tomorrow by the fabulous Amberly @ Structure here in Dahlonega! She always does such a great job, and my hair needs it!
I'm loving...that tomorrow is Commuter Appreciation Day - can we say free massages?? I am so excited.
I'm loving...that today was such a great day after a whole lot of NOT so good days the past couple weeks: I got a 100 on a paper, a 93 on an analytical quiz (Let's face it, that never happens!), and I got to work on time today and got my research draft done way before 30 minutes before class :) I hope the trend continues for the rest of the week!

I'm loving...that I get to celebrate my little, Miranda, and her fiance Benson (in the picture above - aren't they precious?) at a wedding shower this weekend! I am so honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding and love them both to pieces.  The shower should be so much fun! She gets married May 21st, which is SO soon! I am so excited for them to begin the journey as husband and wife! Miranda's wedding leads me to my final thing (because this post is pretty long!)
I'm loving...that in a month and a half I get to see my BIG, Kristin Rosevear! Since she got married and moved with her husband, Brian, to Canada in July 2010, I have only seen her about 3 or 4 times! But she will be here for all the wedding festivities for Miranda because she is a bridesmaid too! You can follow her blog here!

Maybe I'm getting a little better at blogging - baby steps! :)

Let's Face It

Let's face it, I am basically the worst blogger around.  This is due in part to my non-functioning laptop at the moment.  My roommates are so sweet to let me borrow theirs whenever I need it! So I try to only use theirs for necessary things such as homework. I discovered a new resource today - the school library! I basically never go there.  I've maybe been there 10 times since it was built.  But they have SO many resources for students (which is good, since we pay a hefty technology/library fee!) They have so much equipment that you can check out, such as laptops, which I did today! I can now tote around a working laptop for the next seven days.  I think this will help me out tremendously with the two rough drafts of two different literature research papers (all in Spanish!) due next week!
In other news, I really think I have come up with a legitimate backup plan if I don't get into optometry school.  Wanna know what it is? A quinceañera planner! :) I recently planned our spring formal for Alpha Gam, and it is going to be very nice for a little less than $4,000.  It also didn't take me very long to plan and I really enjoyed it! I was looking for a backup plan that would let me use my Spanish and all I've learned about Hispanic culture, and then it hit me - I can plan parties for Hispanic families when they want to celebrate their daughters' coming of age! So if you know anyone needing a planner for their next quinceañera planner, send them my way! ;)
One thing that's been on my mind is the future and how uncertain it is.  I have to remind myself so often  - let's face it, every single day - that we're not even promised tomorrow.  What makes that concept so hard to understand and so hard to practice is the need for planning ahead these days.  You just can't take it day by day when you're trying to get into graduate school, I don't think. But I'm trying to not "worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matt. 6:34) It's just so hard when so many things depend on what is to come tomorrow! Another thing that recently occurred to me is that I may not get into optometry school.  I have to figure out how to be fine with that, and I really just need to listen to God's plan for my life right now and not focus so much on what I want to do to serve God, and focus on what He wants me to do to serve him, whether that be as an optometrist or a secretary :)
So, we've already faced the fact that I'm a bad blogger and in reality have zero time to do this. But it's an excellent outlet and I really enjoy writing and expressing things this way, so I'm going to try to do better!
Thanks for taking the time to read!!

Bankrupt without Love

So I've been reading all of my friends' blogs lately, and I've become inspired.  I love to write, and I feel like I've lost that in the busyness of life and college.  I've been getting a lot of inspiration from various people in my life recently, and I don't think they even know it.  And this is a start.  I have a lot of goals to improve myself, my relationships, and most importantly, my relationship with God.  All three of these have been suffering and it's time for a change.  

My favorite thing is Love.  Love is literally the most important thing in life.  I recently looked up I Corinthians 13 in The Message and I love this version: 

 

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

   Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.  ^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
 ¹¹When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
 ¹²We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
 ¹³But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

I love what the Bible has to say about love.  This is the model of love that God designed for us to follow.  How many times does my love look like this kind of love? Probably never.  I'm challenging myself to show this kind of love.  It'll take a while - as humans, how can we ever love like God loves us? It's incomprehensible.  But I'm going to strive for it to the best of my ability.  Through me, people should see God's love.  And that includes everyone, even people I don't like.  That may be the biggest challenge.  

I hope I really, really get into this blogging thing - it seems like so much fun and a great outlet for thoughts and feelings!