Christmas is almost here, which means that you, like me, have probably been bombarded with the popular question "Are you ready for Christmas?!" Whether it's asked by a teller at the bank, a co-worker, or a friend, it might be intended as a simple conversation starter or as a lighthearted inquiry as to whether you've finished your holiday shopping. My typical response to this question has been along the lines of "Not yet! I'm a procrastinator and still have lots of gifts to buy!" In past years, that was probably a fully accurate statement, however, this year, deep down there's a much bigger reason why I'm not ready...Sure, we made it through Easter, and Father's Day, and Thanksgiving, and every day in between. Some days have been harder than others, but we've made it. Now, with Christmas Eve upon us, despite having had 11 months to realize this holiday would eventually come and we'd have to experience our first Christmas without Dad, the reality has set in once again. Needless to say, the whole getting in the holiday spirit thing hasn't come easy this year. I've tried listening to Christmas music, but eventually that reminds me of Dad and the fact that he's not here. Every time I head out to the stores to search for the "it" gifts that I hope my family and close friends will enjoy, I find myself coming across items that make me think "Oh, I bet Dad would have loved that!" and wishing that he was still here to give gifts to.
As I was wrapping presents after dinner last night, some fond memories of Dad popped into my head, as often happens several times throughout any given day. This time, I was reminded of past Christmases before Dad got sick, and the tradition that he and Jon had wherein they would head out on Christmas Eve Eve (sometimes a day or two earlier if they were getting an early start :) to brave the mall crowds together and pick out gifts for Mom and me. Then, because I was a super duper smooth snooper who always managed to find the gifts when they hid them in the garage...or bedroom closets....or [insert clever hiding place here], they began the tradition of stashing the gifts at the hardware store. Either that night, or on Christmas Eve morning/afternoon they would drive back down to the hardware store to wrap the presents, then would bring them home where they were no longer susceptible to my snooping abilities (I drew the line at upwrapping/rewrapping :P).
Mom and I spent most of this morning and some of this afternoon baking Christmas cookies...I made Christmas
brownies and she baked her famous gingerbread cookies and orange balls,
as well as snowball cookies. It's a fun (and tasty) Christmas tradition,
with the difference being that this year, Dad wasn't here to taste the
cookies fresh out of the oven like he always loved to do. Man, he loved baked goods, and whenever I decided to use the fam as my test subjects for my new recipe experiments, he was always a willing guinea pig. :)
Tomorrow morning is going to be tough, there's no question about that....For the first time in my and Jon's lives, and the first time in 35 years for Mom...Dad won't be there when we wake up on Christmas morning. He won't be there to watch and make his typical funny comments when we open gifts. I know he's always with us in spirit, but it doesn't make him not being here in person much easier.
But, my selfishness aside, I'm happy that Dad gets to spend his first Christmas in Heaven with Jesus, Grandma & Grandaddy, and everyone else up there! I'm sure it's amazing beyond our wildest imagination! And I know he wouldn't want us to be sad on Christmas, so I'm gonna do my best to make the most of it. I'm still looking forward to spending the holiday with family, but it just won't be quite the same. I know many others are also experiencing their first Christmas without a loved one, and my heart and prayers go out to them.
But on a happier note, time to sign off to watch my absolute fave Christmas movie, Home Alone 2, with Mom & Jon! Then, I'm heading off to visit my cousin, her husband, and their adorable baby boy, before going to the Christmas Eve service at my family's church.
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a happy and blessed one! :)
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
JMU has lost one of its finest...
I know it's rare that I post twice within a few days, much less on the same night, but sadly I learned of some unexpected and heartbreaking news earlier this evening and felt compelled to write at least a short post. Tonight, the JMU Nation is mourning the loss of an incredible friend, student, cheerleader, JMU sports fanatic, and all around great guy. I met Nick through mutual friends in the Student Duke Club...we would all sit together at basketball games and other SDC/athletic events. Then, once our group broke off and hosted our own tailgates separate from the SDC, he usually dropped by to hang out with us for a bit before heading to the stadium to cheer. His enthusiasm and school spirit were contagious...at every football game before he became a cheerleader, you would always find him decked out with his whole face painted purple and gold, and wearing his infamous purple vest that was decorated with various JMU gameday buttons. Nick was one of those people who was a friend to everyone...he had an incredible personality and always seemed to be in a great mood. He will truly be missed by the entire JMU community, but we will keep his legacy alive at every gameday...
Please keep Nick's family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.
This sudden loss definitely puts things into perspective and makes you realize that tomorrow isn't guaranteed for any of us, no matter how young. He was only 23...I'm also 23. Here's hoping that Nick's life will inspire us not to waste a single day, but instead to live each day to the fullest, pursue our dreams, and always, always tell those close to us how much we love and care about them. 2011 keeps finding ways to remind me of how very important all of those things are...especially the last one. Even though it's been almost 10 months since Dad died, I'll always regret not being home near the end, and I wish more than anything that I would have been there to tell him one last "I love you," but now I have to wait until we are reunited in Heaven, which will be amazing beyond our wildest dreams, but that doesn't make living life on earth without him any easier in the meantime. Situations like this just bring those feelings rushing back to the forefront, and while we can't change our past actions, we can adjust our priorities for the future. So, I guess what I'm trying to suggest, in my roundabout way, is to make sure that you invest more time, energy, and love into your relationships and make them a priority over every other aspect of your life...and believe me when I say that I need to take that advice more than anyone else I can think of.
On that note, I suppose I should attempt to get some sleep. Signing off tonight with a heavy heart, and keeping Nick's family in my thoughts and prayers...RIP JMU Jester, we'll miss you, but will see you again someday...
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| Nick at one of our tailgates - Sept. 2009 |
Please keep Nick's family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.
This sudden loss definitely puts things into perspective and makes you realize that tomorrow isn't guaranteed for any of us, no matter how young. He was only 23...I'm also 23. Here's hoping that Nick's life will inspire us not to waste a single day, but instead to live each day to the fullest, pursue our dreams, and always, always tell those close to us how much we love and care about them. 2011 keeps finding ways to remind me of how very important all of those things are...especially the last one. Even though it's been almost 10 months since Dad died, I'll always regret not being home near the end, and I wish more than anything that I would have been there to tell him one last "I love you," but now I have to wait until we are reunited in Heaven, which will be amazing beyond our wildest dreams, but that doesn't make living life on earth without him any easier in the meantime. Situations like this just bring those feelings rushing back to the forefront, and while we can't change our past actions, we can adjust our priorities for the future. So, I guess what I'm trying to suggest, in my roundabout way, is to make sure that you invest more time, energy, and love into your relationships and make them a priority over every other aspect of your life...and believe me when I say that I need to take that advice more than anyone else I can think of.
On that note, I suppose I should attempt to get some sleep. Signing off tonight with a heavy heart, and keeping Nick's family in my thoughts and prayers...RIP JMU Jester, we'll miss you, but will see you again someday...
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Yay for laid back Saturdays!!! :)
For the first time in quite a while, as this weekend approached, I realized that I didn't really have any plans for Friday or Saturday. Since that's not typical for me, I almost panicked...I mean, weekends have so much potential for fun or productive things, who wants to waste a perfectly great weekend without any plans?! So, being the spontaneous person that I am, I tried to plan an impromptu trip to D.C./Georgetown...after all, Georgetown Cupcake is now offering their seasonal flavors: pumpkin spice and caramel apple! That fact by itself is enough cause for a trip to D.C.! Not to mention the fact that Georgetown is one of my favorite places to visit and it has been far too long since the last time I was there last February. But alas, none of my Richmond friends were up for the impromptu trip, and since it obviously wouldn't be much fun alone, my spontaneous plan failed. So I was back to the drawing board..
As Friday afternoon rolled around, I decided that I needed to go to the gym after work, no excuses accepted. While I love having a busy social life and wouldn't have it any other way, it often cuts into my gym time. This week was no exception, as my evenings consisted of Halloween festivities, baking pumpkin cupcakes for an office party, small group Bible study/potluck, a movie at the Byrd Theatre, and Sweet Frog, among other things. So, thank goodness for not having any plans on Friday, since it definitely needed to be gym night! And boy did it feel good when my workout was finished!
Today was one of those wonderful, lazy Saturdays where I woke up around 7:15, thought for a split second that I had overslept and was going to be late for work, only to realize that it was Saturday and I didn't have anything going on that would force me to get up out of my cozy bed at that early hour. I finally got up around 9:00ish, did some laundry (so it wasn't a totally lazy day, haha), pulled out my scrapbooking stuff (which now looks like it exploded all over my living room) and finished a few pages. It was a beautiful day outside and I was excited to meet my wonderful friend Christine for brunch (okay, so I did end up making some plans on Friday evening after all, lol). So, I took a nice stroll through the neighborhood and met up with her at one of my fave local spots, DeLux, where we spent an hour and a half enjoying some tasty food and catching up on each other's lives since we last got together.
After that, I made my third trip to the grocery store this week (I should really try to do a better job of planning everything I'm going to need for the week, but just like the rest of my life, I tend to spontaneously decide to make things on the spur of the moment, so it's hard to plan for those moments until they happen. Hehe). My friend Mary's birthday was Friday, but we are celebrating tomorrow so I made her an eclair cake this afternoon, which should be a nice surprise, assuming she doesn't happen to read this post before then, but I think I'm safe. Haha. Then, after more scrapbooking, I tried out a new recipe that was shared with me on Tuesday after I tasted the most amazing macaroni & cheese at our office Halloween potluck, and I decided that I needed to learn to make it for myself. It turns out, the recipe came from a Ukrop's cookbook (which obviously explains why it was so delicious), so I will refrain from posting the recipe here, but I will share a few pics.
After eating 2 helpings for dinner, I can confidently say that this is by far the best baked mac & cheese that I have ever made, and I will definitely be using the Ukrop's recipe from now on! Yay for finding stellar recipes that you know you will rely on again and again! What's even better is that, in my usual fashion, I swapped out the full fat ingredients and replaced them with fat free or reduced fat versions, yet it still came out super creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor. Delicious and healthified...it's a win-win! :)
Juliana's Crockpot Vegetarian Chili is on the menu for Monday night...I can't remember if I posted my recipe on here last winter after I entered it in the office chili cookoff or not, so I will go browse through my archives and if I don't see it, I will post it at some point during the week.
Hope you are all having an awesome weekend! :)
As Friday afternoon rolled around, I decided that I needed to go to the gym after work, no excuses accepted. While I love having a busy social life and wouldn't have it any other way, it often cuts into my gym time. This week was no exception, as my evenings consisted of Halloween festivities, baking pumpkin cupcakes for an office party, small group Bible study/potluck, a movie at the Byrd Theatre, and Sweet Frog, among other things. So, thank goodness for not having any plans on Friday, since it definitely needed to be gym night! And boy did it feel good when my workout was finished!
Today was one of those wonderful, lazy Saturdays where I woke up around 7:15, thought for a split second that I had overslept and was going to be late for work, only to realize that it was Saturday and I didn't have anything going on that would force me to get up out of my cozy bed at that early hour. I finally got up around 9:00ish, did some laundry (so it wasn't a totally lazy day, haha), pulled out my scrapbooking stuff (which now looks like it exploded all over my living room) and finished a few pages. It was a beautiful day outside and I was excited to meet my wonderful friend Christine for brunch (okay, so I did end up making some plans on Friday evening after all, lol). So, I took a nice stroll through the neighborhood and met up with her at one of my fave local spots, DeLux, where we spent an hour and a half enjoying some tasty food and catching up on each other's lives since we last got together.
After that, I made my third trip to the grocery store this week (I should really try to do a better job of planning everything I'm going to need for the week, but just like the rest of my life, I tend to spontaneously decide to make things on the spur of the moment, so it's hard to plan for those moments until they happen. Hehe). My friend Mary's birthday was Friday, but we are celebrating tomorrow so I made her an eclair cake this afternoon, which should be a nice surprise, assuming she doesn't happen to read this post before then, but I think I'm safe. Haha. Then, after more scrapbooking, I tried out a new recipe that was shared with me on Tuesday after I tasted the most amazing macaroni & cheese at our office Halloween potluck, and I decided that I needed to learn to make it for myself. It turns out, the recipe came from a Ukrop's cookbook (which obviously explains why it was so delicious), so I will refrain from posting the recipe here, but I will share a few pics.
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| My favorite ingredient! Did I mention this mac & cheese has a bit of a kick to it? :) |
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| Ready to go in the oven! |
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| Voila! Piping hot from the oven |
After eating 2 helpings for dinner, I can confidently say that this is by far the best baked mac & cheese that I have ever made, and I will definitely be using the Ukrop's recipe from now on! Yay for finding stellar recipes that you know you will rely on again and again! What's even better is that, in my usual fashion, I swapped out the full fat ingredients and replaced them with fat free or reduced fat versions, yet it still came out super creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor. Delicious and healthified...it's a win-win! :)
Juliana's Crockpot Vegetarian Chili is on the menu for Monday night...I can't remember if I posted my recipe on here last winter after I entered it in the office chili cookoff or not, so I will go browse through my archives and if I don't see it, I will post it at some point during the week.
Hope you are all having an awesome weekend! :)
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Gorgeous Fall weather = the perfect time for picture taking! :)
Another fantastic weekend has come and almost gone, so I'm closing it out by relaxing on my couch in my pj's, halfway paying attention to the World Series (even though I'd much rather be watching the Saints vs. Colts game, which is going to be the determining factor in whether I win my fantasy football match-up this week, but alas I don't have cable b/c I'm rarely home to watch TV, so I'm settling for baseball, lol). While I'm winding down before the work week begins, I wanted to share a few photos that I took around Capitol Square on Friday. After losing my purple Polaroid Lumix in Alabama a few weeks ago, I ordered a new camera, which arrived on Friday morning (you know I can't survive very long without being able to take pictures :). Since I obviously couldn't wait to start playing around with it and see what it was capable of, I spent my lunch break walking around and snapping lots of pics. Here are a few of them:
I'm still learning all of the nifty manual functions that it offers, but I can already tell that this is going to be a much better investment than the Lumix. Of course, I would expect no less from a Canon! Hopefully I will do a better job of keeping up with this one! :)
Enjoy the last few hours of the weekend, y'all!
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| Virginia Capitol (Shot #1) |
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| Harry F. Byrd statue in front of the General Assembly Building |
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| Edgar Allen Poe statue |
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| Capitol from opposite direction |
I'm still learning all of the nifty manual functions that it offers, but I can already tell that this is going to be a much better investment than the Lumix. Of course, I would expect no less from a Canon! Hopefully I will do a better job of keeping up with this one! :)
Enjoy the last few hours of the weekend, y'all!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe :)
It seems like I always go on a serious baking spree in the Fall...so many pumpkin recipes to try, and lots of tailgates and other events where I can test my baking experiments on my family and friends. :) In preparation for tomorrow's Virginia Tech vs. Boston College tailgate, I decided to bake Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies, which I made from scratch, using this Betty Crocker recipe as a guide, but adapting it to incorporate more spices and more pumpkin-y flavor!
Juliana's Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 15 oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 eggs (1/2 cup egg substitute)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat in pumpkin and eggs until well mixed. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Juliana's Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 15 oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 eggs (1/2 cup egg substitute)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat
oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, applesauce, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed,
scraping bowl occasionally, until well blended.
Beat in pumpkin and eggs until well mixed. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls.
Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in
center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.
Cool
completely, about 40 minutes. Frost with your favorite homemade or store bought cream cheese icing. (Don't forget to store them in an air tight container so they will stay soft)!
And VOILA! These little, incredibly soft, pumpkin gems are ready to head to Blacksburg and get their tailgate on! :) With that, I should probably be heading to bed, as we have an early morning ahead of us in order to make the trek down to Tech to allow plenty of time for tailgating. If you happen to be going to the game as well, you should totally stop by and try a pumpkin cookie (or 2 or 3 :)
Night y'all and Go HOKIES!
Monday, October 17, 2011
A Fabulous Fall Weekend!
Autumn is here in full force, as was evident by the gorgeous fall foliage that made for a very colorful drive over the mountain on my way home Saturday morning (and again during my drive back to RVA earlier this afternoon). We definitely couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend! Mine started out with dinner at Sticky Rice with two great friends after work on Friday evening, which was followed by packing and relaxing before waking up early on Saturday to make the usual journey to the Valley.
Not surprisingly, it was another football filled weekend...JMU hosted the Villanova Wildcats at 1:30 on Saturday. After a very rocky and sloppy first half, the Dukes came out of the locker room fired up and ready to win! And they did just that!
After happily witnessing the Dukes lay that smackdown on Villanova, Jon and I headed home and met Mom for a delicious dinner at Mamma Mia's. The really great thing about coming home for so many football weekends means getting to spend some quality time with both of them! :) After dinner, I had to run by the grocery store to pick up some mini chocolate chips, and then we headed home, since Virginia Tech was playing Wakeforest at 6:30. The game wasn't televised so Mom and Jon got the live radio stream going in the living room while I started destroying Mom's kitchen with yet another one of my baking projects....
The Hokies didn't have a very good first quarter, but luckily they picked up their game in the 2nd quarter and ended up earning a solid ACC win over the Demon Deacons with a final score of 38-17. Meanwhile, my pumpkin bread had finished baking, so yummy aromas of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate wafted throughout the house.
This morning, I got up early and headed back to H-burg for the caffeinated service at HBC, then came home to pack, and enjoyed a yummy home-cooked lunch (thanks, Mom!), before hitting the road. (Yes, I hit the road before the Skins game kicked off...and I missed the entire thing...terrible I know, but at least I didn't miss anything good lol).
The weather today was amazing so I cruised back to Richmond in Sunny II with the sunroof open, music blasting, and the wind blowing in my hair 8) I made it back to my apartment in time to unload all my stuff, and then decided that since it was so nice outside I might as well take a 20 minute afternoon stroll to City Church in lieu of the usual 5 minute drive. It was an excellent decision. City Church was great, especially after missing it the past 2 weeks and being reminded that I really feel like this is finally the church where God wants me to be. But time will tell...
On that note, I should probably be getting to bed....the first full week after a 4 day work week always seems to drag on, so I should at least try to get my usual 5 hours in before hitting the coffee pot tomorrow. Hehe.
On another real quick note before I hop off here, prayers would be greatly appreciated for the fam this week, but especially on Tuesday, as it's going to be a tough day for us.
Thanks and much love to you all! xoxo Good-night!
Not surprisingly, it was another football filled weekend...JMU hosted the Villanova Wildcats at 1:30 on Saturday. After a very rocky and sloppy first half, the Dukes came out of the locker room fired up and ready to win! And they did just that!
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| (Please forgive the terrible quality of the photos in my post tonight...I lost my digital camera during our Alabama trip and thus resorted to snapping pics with my BlackBerry). |
After happily witnessing the Dukes lay that smackdown on Villanova, Jon and I headed home and met Mom for a delicious dinner at Mamma Mia's. The really great thing about coming home for so many football weekends means getting to spend some quality time with both of them! :) After dinner, I had to run by the grocery store to pick up some mini chocolate chips, and then we headed home, since Virginia Tech was playing Wakeforest at 6:30. The game wasn't televised so Mom and Jon got the live radio stream going in the living room while I started destroying Mom's kitchen with yet another one of my baking projects....
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| Homemade chocolate chip pumpkin bread batter (made from scratch, obvi ;) ready to go into the oven. |
This morning, I got up early and headed back to H-burg for the caffeinated service at HBC, then came home to pack, and enjoyed a yummy home-cooked lunch (thanks, Mom!), before hitting the road. (Yes, I hit the road before the Skins game kicked off...and I missed the entire thing...terrible I know, but at least I didn't miss anything good lol).
The weather today was amazing so I cruised back to Richmond in Sunny II with the sunroof open, music blasting, and the wind blowing in my hair 8) I made it back to my apartment in time to unload all my stuff, and then decided that since it was so nice outside I might as well take a 20 minute afternoon stroll to City Church in lieu of the usual 5 minute drive. It was an excellent decision. City Church was great, especially after missing it the past 2 weeks and being reminded that I really feel like this is finally the church where God wants me to be. But time will tell...
On that note, I should probably be getting to bed....the first full week after a 4 day work week always seems to drag on, so I should at least try to get my usual 5 hours in before hitting the coffee pot tomorrow. Hehe.
On another real quick note before I hop off here, prayers would be greatly appreciated for the fam this week, but especially on Tuesday, as it's going to be a tough day for us.
Thanks and much love to you all! xoxo Good-night!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Good stuff! Including (but not limited to) football, FroYo, and faith
What a week it's been! Had Sweet Frog for dinner with my very dear friends LG and NR on Monday...yes, you read that correctly...Juliana, the health fanatic, ate FroYo for dinner...but in my usual fashion, I only put fruit on top, so at least the dairy and fruit groups were covered. ;) Then, after work on Tuesday night I headed to Charlottesville's lovely Downtown Mall, met my friend Denise for dinner at Eppie's (and unexpectedly ran into my friend Ryan on the way!), enjoyed delicious food and perfect weather in the outside dining area, then headed to the Jefferson Theater for the long anticipated Mat Kearney concert!!! As expected, he put on an AMAZING live show, and I have been listening to his newest album nonstop (at the office, while driving around in Sunny II, while typing this blog post, etc.)! Despite the fact that I had already been listening to it quite a bit to psych myself up for the concert, it still hasn't gotten old yet! Don't you just love albums like that where you can just play them straight through and don't even have the desire to skip any of the tracks? Albums of that caliber are usually a rare find, but in my music collection, Mat Kearney joins the ranks of Daughtry, John Mayer, Parachute, Jon McLaughlin, and One Republic. Good stuff!!!
Wednesday was an especially wonderful day which included lunch with several friends from the office and a surprise visit from my fave cigar aficionado and fellow ice cream/FroYo lover (which obviously resulted in my 2nd Sweet Frog excursion of the week...I keep forgetting that I need to cut back on my caloric intake since I haven't been able to go for a legit long run for over 2 months. It's bound to start catching up with me soon!). Then, I met up with my friends Mary Ruth and Andi to continue planning the YPG alum small group! MR made a fabulous dinner AND surprised us with Pearl's cupcakes for dessert! They were insanely delicious and I could feel the delectable chocolate buttercream icing going straight to my hips... (Despite the fact that this entire paragraph mentions food, I promise that I do occasionally do things that don't involve eating hahaha...but seriously :P). On a more serious and positive note, our planning session went very well and we are getting super excited for the awesome things that God is going to do through the group!
Okay, so those were some of the highlights of my week, but I figure you guys don't want to read every detail, so I'll move on....well, kind of.
Is anyone else totally amazed by the fact that October will be here this weekend??? Craziness! But I'm especially excited for this weekend b/c I'm gonna be road-tripping to Alabama with my bro and a few of his friends for our mutual friend's wedding! I'm super stoked about it because it means quality time with my bro, plus roadtrips and weddings are always a blast, and since this is a double whammee it should be extra fun!
Speaking of weekends, this past one included a short roadtrip to Williamsburg to watch my DUKES take on the William & Mary Tribe for their family weekend game last night. The skies were looking kind of ominous when we left Richmond, but by the time we arrived on campus and parked (I would just like to point out here that JMU's visitor parking at the convo is FREE, but W&M charges $10...I knew that in advance, but still think it's lamesauce :P), the sun was trying to peak out from behind the clouds. We stopped by a friend's tailgate to say hello, meandered across campus and grabbed dinner at The College Delly, then walked around campus for half an hour to work off some of our dinner before heading to Zable Stadium for kickoff. Both teams went scoreless in the 1st quarter, but JMU was the first to get on the board with a touchdown early in the 2nd quarter. Then, the Dukes also put up a field goal, giving us a 10-0 lead going into halftime. In addition to JMU scoring, the 2nd quarter also brought rain showers. Having experienced the monsoon at Lane Stadium during the epic JMU victory over VT last September, last night's rain wasn't too bad, but lasted long enough to leave my Madison Football hoodie significantly soaked (yes, leave it to me to bring a non-water repellent hoodie instead of a poncho to a game when rain is in the forecast...I did the same thing for the VT game. Maybe I'll learn one of these days! Haha). Anyway, the rain clouds finally moved on sometime during the 3rd quarter (or maybe early 4th quarter, I don't remember exactly), and after a nerve racking 2nd half with several questionable calls and penalties that got us JMU fans riled up, the DUKES knocked off the Tribe 20-14!!!! As I was walking back to Sunny II, I obviously had to call Mom so we could share in each other's excitement over the win! :)
The conference win was definitely a great morale boost for the players and fans alike, so hopefully we can keep the momentum going for the big homecoming game against U of R next weekend.
In other college football news this weekend, VT won, UVa lost, and U of R also lost. So, all in all, as I discussed with Jon last night, it was an awesome football weekend that could only be made better with a Redskins victory over the Cowboys tomorrow! :)
Okay, since I can't come up with a good segue, I'm just going to totally switch topics from football to spirituality...This has been one of those weeks where several "God moments" have occurred where the Lord's handiwork has become blatantly obvious to me. For starters, I realized how incredibly blessed I am that God has put so many wonderful Christian friends and influences in my life. Looking back over my lifetime, I am so thankful to my mom and dad for raising Jon and me in a Christian home and making church a priority from day one. I regret that I never properly thanked Dad for that, but Mom, if you're reading, please know that I am forever grateful to you both! The past year has been an incredibly difficult one, but despite all of the sadness, pain, and trying times, there have been SO many blessings! As my blog posts over the past year demonstrate, I've learned to be more open and honest about my feelings and personal struggles. I used to put up a facade to try to convince myself and others that I was strong and independent, and didn't want to burden anyone else with my problems. Now, I finally understand that God intended for us to lean on and support each other during difficult times, and celebrate together during the good times.
God led me to the NEM YPG group when I was in serious need of a spiritual rejuvenation, and He used the group to provide just that, in addition to fostering some wonderful friendships that I treasure dearly! I'm optimistic that God will continue to work through our new group to make those friendships blossom even more, and also to establish new friendships, as well as the accountability and support that we all need in our individual circumstances. On another positive note, I'm starting to feel like the church I've been attending recently might be the right fit for me, so that would be a huge blessing!
Finally, the past year has also taught me to trust God's timing for our lives. As I've mentioned plenty of times, I'm a naturally impatient person and don't like waiting very long for things to happen. I always push the envelope when it comes to injuries (as I proved again last weekend when I ran 3 miles, which was my version of the doc's orders to "start running again very gradually." Unfortunately, my foot didn't agree and hasn't let me complete a run since then...I really will learn eventually.). On a deeper level, I never fully understood how important it is to take ample time to let our spiritual and emotional wounds heal, but now I know that it can be an ongoing process and different hurts take different amounts of time to heal. And sometimes, the results of our own actions can cause us just as much pain as (if not more than) others' actions toward us. These instances can be especially difficult, since they often cause us to harbor feelings of self-blame, guilt, and regret. But in my experience, admitting this to yourself, praying for forgiveness (from yourself and anyone else who may have been hurt in the process), and talking about it with trusted confidantes are all ways to help the healing begin.
I've also become more acutely aware of the timing of seemingly little things that really mean so very much. You know, that phone call or text from a good friend that makes you smile and lifts your spirits just when you need it most. Or, as was the case for me at church this evening, hearing a sermon that speaks directly to something you are currently dealing with and wondering if the pastor can somehow see through you and your struggles. Nope, that's another case of God actively working in your life. Again I must say, good stuff!
I could certainly keep going, but alas, it's getting late and I'm already down to a potential 4.5 hours of sleep tops, so I should probably at least attempt to get that much so I don't have to run entirely on caffeine tomorrow. :)
Wow, that was a deep topic to tackle right after football...I really should work on a better segue next time. Haha. But as usual, thanks for reading, and sorry this was kind of a long one. Maybe one of these days I'll start posting more regularly instead of trying to recap for all of the time I've missed.
Have a wonderful and blessed week, y'all!!!! :) Nite!
Wednesday was an especially wonderful day which included lunch with several friends from the office and a surprise visit from my fave cigar aficionado and fellow ice cream/FroYo lover (which obviously resulted in my 2nd Sweet Frog excursion of the week...I keep forgetting that I need to cut back on my caloric intake since I haven't been able to go for a legit long run for over 2 months. It's bound to start catching up with me soon!). Then, I met up with my friends Mary Ruth and Andi to continue planning the YPG alum small group! MR made a fabulous dinner AND surprised us with Pearl's cupcakes for dessert! They were insanely delicious and I could feel the delectable chocolate buttercream icing going straight to my hips... (Despite the fact that this entire paragraph mentions food, I promise that I do occasionally do things that don't involve eating hahaha...but seriously :P). On a more serious and positive note, our planning session went very well and we are getting super excited for the awesome things that God is going to do through the group!
Okay, so those were some of the highlights of my week, but I figure you guys don't want to read every detail, so I'll move on....well, kind of.
Is anyone else totally amazed by the fact that October will be here this weekend??? Craziness! But I'm especially excited for this weekend b/c I'm gonna be road-tripping to Alabama with my bro and a few of his friends for our mutual friend's wedding! I'm super stoked about it because it means quality time with my bro, plus roadtrips and weddings are always a blast, and since this is a double whammee it should be extra fun!
Speaking of weekends, this past one included a short roadtrip to Williamsburg to watch my DUKES take on the William & Mary Tribe for their family weekend game last night. The skies were looking kind of ominous when we left Richmond, but by the time we arrived on campus and parked (I would just like to point out here that JMU's visitor parking at the convo is FREE, but W&M charges $10...I knew that in advance, but still think it's lamesauce :P), the sun was trying to peak out from behind the clouds. We stopped by a friend's tailgate to say hello, meandered across campus and grabbed dinner at The College Delly, then walked around campus for half an hour to work off some of our dinner before heading to Zable Stadium for kickoff. Both teams went scoreless in the 1st quarter, but JMU was the first to get on the board with a touchdown early in the 2nd quarter. Then, the Dukes also put up a field goal, giving us a 10-0 lead going into halftime. In addition to JMU scoring, the 2nd quarter also brought rain showers. Having experienced the monsoon at Lane Stadium during the epic JMU victory over VT last September, last night's rain wasn't too bad, but lasted long enough to leave my Madison Football hoodie significantly soaked (yes, leave it to me to bring a non-water repellent hoodie instead of a poncho to a game when rain is in the forecast...I did the same thing for the VT game. Maybe I'll learn one of these days! Haha). Anyway, the rain clouds finally moved on sometime during the 3rd quarter (or maybe early 4th quarter, I don't remember exactly), and after a nerve racking 2nd half with several questionable calls and penalties that got us JMU fans riled up, the DUKES knocked off the Tribe 20-14!!!! As I was walking back to Sunny II, I obviously had to call Mom so we could share in each other's excitement over the win! :)
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| Our beloved DUKE DOG!!!!! |
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| DUKES win!!!! :D |
Okay, since I can't come up with a good segue, I'm just going to totally switch topics from football to spirituality...This has been one of those weeks where several "God moments" have occurred where the Lord's handiwork has become blatantly obvious to me. For starters, I realized how incredibly blessed I am that God has put so many wonderful Christian friends and influences in my life. Looking back over my lifetime, I am so thankful to my mom and dad for raising Jon and me in a Christian home and making church a priority from day one. I regret that I never properly thanked Dad for that, but Mom, if you're reading, please know that I am forever grateful to you both! The past year has been an incredibly difficult one, but despite all of the sadness, pain, and trying times, there have been SO many blessings! As my blog posts over the past year demonstrate, I've learned to be more open and honest about my feelings and personal struggles. I used to put up a facade to try to convince myself and others that I was strong and independent, and didn't want to burden anyone else with my problems. Now, I finally understand that God intended for us to lean on and support each other during difficult times, and celebrate together during the good times.
God led me to the NEM YPG group when I was in serious need of a spiritual rejuvenation, and He used the group to provide just that, in addition to fostering some wonderful friendships that I treasure dearly! I'm optimistic that God will continue to work through our new group to make those friendships blossom even more, and also to establish new friendships, as well as the accountability and support that we all need in our individual circumstances. On another positive note, I'm starting to feel like the church I've been attending recently might be the right fit for me, so that would be a huge blessing!
Finally, the past year has also taught me to trust God's timing for our lives. As I've mentioned plenty of times, I'm a naturally impatient person and don't like waiting very long for things to happen. I always push the envelope when it comes to injuries (as I proved again last weekend when I ran 3 miles, which was my version of the doc's orders to "start running again very gradually." Unfortunately, my foot didn't agree and hasn't let me complete a run since then...I really will learn eventually.). On a deeper level, I never fully understood how important it is to take ample time to let our spiritual and emotional wounds heal, but now I know that it can be an ongoing process and different hurts take different amounts of time to heal. And sometimes, the results of our own actions can cause us just as much pain as (if not more than) others' actions toward us. These instances can be especially difficult, since they often cause us to harbor feelings of self-blame, guilt, and regret. But in my experience, admitting this to yourself, praying for forgiveness (from yourself and anyone else who may have been hurt in the process), and talking about it with trusted confidantes are all ways to help the healing begin.
I've also become more acutely aware of the timing of seemingly little things that really mean so very much. You know, that phone call or text from a good friend that makes you smile and lifts your spirits just when you need it most. Or, as was the case for me at church this evening, hearing a sermon that speaks directly to something you are currently dealing with and wondering if the pastor can somehow see through you and your struggles. Nope, that's another case of God actively working in your life. Again I must say, good stuff!
I could certainly keep going, but alas, it's getting late and I'm already down to a potential 4.5 hours of sleep tops, so I should probably at least attempt to get that much so I don't have to run entirely on caffeine tomorrow. :)
Wow, that was a deep topic to tackle right after football...I really should work on a better segue next time. Haha. But as usual, thanks for reading, and sorry this was kind of a long one. Maybe one of these days I'll start posting more regularly instead of trying to recap for all of the time I've missed.
Have a wonderful and blessed week, y'all!!!! :) Nite!
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