Day 9: Souvenir Bracelet

My sister and my mom went to Columbus, Ohio for Volleyball Nationals (where my sister's team won their flight!! YAY!) this past week. They then went to King's Island on Friday...where they found some pretty awesome souvenir shops! Since they got to have a crazy fun time at the amusement park, they decided to bring dad, Caleb, and me a couple souvenirs back to us! And my sweet mom and sister brought my back this BEAUTIFUL bracelet!! I love it so much so I decided to take a picture of it....
.....Especially since I lose jewelry left and right, a picture would help me remember how beautiful it was when I lose it. 
Thank you, Mommy and Sarah!!

Day 8: CHEAPO gas

The gas has been going DOWN DOWN DOWN the past week!! And I, of course, waited last minute to fill my tank up in Knoxville (always a procrastinator), and the gas started to go back UP!! What?! It got back up to 3.09...boo! And just when I needed to buy gas...
But I drive to my usual Kroger gas station today and it's still at 2.98!! The ONLY Gas station I saw that still had this price. WHOO!! So I had to get a picture of the gas price, just because who knows when we'll see gas under $3.00 again! 

Day 7: Signs to smile

I've been getting a little discouraged with this project....some days are HARD to figure out what to even take a picture of! Today was a very unproductive day. I had NO idea what to take a picture of. Nothing exciting, interesting, productive, worthwhile happened today....so I took random pictures of Sonic drinks and the sky, but was extremely discouraged by them.....super lame. 

I went shopping in Rugged Wearhouse for a dress, and I stumbled upon this sign:

"Whoever Smiles First, Wins."

This sign definitely made me smile and brought my spirits up! Even if you're not happy at the moment, if you can find something to smile about, it will totally change your attitude!! After seeing this sign, I KNEW that it had to be the picture for today! It totally changed my day around, and my attitude about this project!

"Smiling is my favorite!" -Buddy the Elf

Day 6: 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!!

My best friend, Jenna, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pinterest! So, for our fourth of July festivities, we decided to get a little crafty! We found some cheap-o cheesy Wal-Mart flag shirts and decided to make them SLIGHTLY less cheesy. We found a DIY tank top on Pinterest and used the directions to make our tanks. I also wore a red, white, and blue tank top under my shirt after I cut it. I fringed the bottom of my tank to add a little personality. The backs of our tanks were tied in a cute way. It may not look like much, but it was so much fun making them! 

This picture just represents an AWESOME day with Jenna. We made these shirts, enjoyed food with  friends and watched fireworks! I'm so blessed to be an American!

I LOVE YOU, JENNA LAYNE!

Day 5: Honduras fundraiser

This is a picture of one of my good friend, Courtney's, fundraiser t-shirt. I bought it today for $20. Not only is it for a GREAT cause, it's a super cute t-shirt!


Courtney is moving to Honduras for ELEVEN months! She has an amazing heart for God and heart for missions. I can't tell you specifically what she'll be doing there. But, I can tell you that she will be doing God's will, no doubt. 


The shirt says: "I am not afraid. I was born to do this." 


I LOVE what this says. We were BORN to live for and worship God. Fear is not of God. So, whenever we step out there, out of our comfort zone, we can't have any fear, because God is going to take care of us, every step of the way!!


I'm praying for Courtney's journey when she leaves in August! I can't wait to see how God uses her. And, I pray that I listen to God's voice when He challenges me, and that I won't be afraid!

Day 4: My Grandma Iris

I have been so blessed to have been able to spend a couple days with my grandma! It was the perfect time during the summer to see her. The summer has been incredibly wonderful, but most definitely EXHAUSTING. Coming to my grandma's means getting to just relax and stop moving for a couple of days...just what I needed:)

One of my favorite parts about coming to Grandma's is getting to stay in my daddy's old room! Always a good memory for my sister and me!

I love sitting on the back porch with her and talking about everything under the sun: from where my grandpa used to love eating (apparently, he ate Chinese EVERY Friday: so now I know where I got my love for Chinese food!!) to tons of teaching advice to how much God loves us. We have spent time playing board games, watching endless movies, eating pie with TONS of whipped topping, and reminiscing about Grandaddy.

I can't wait till the next time I get to see her!

Day 3: Deason Church of Christ

February 19, 2012. This is the day my grandpa suddenly passed away. It's been a few months since then and the days have gotten easier and the breakdowns have become farther apart. I still think about him daily, but God has continued to give me peace and comfort.
But, there's one thing I needed to do to really get some closure. I visited the place he ever stepped foot in.

My grandpa was the most godliest man I knew. His faith was rock solid and everyone around him could see that. He was never condescending, and love shone through his eyes. He respected everyone's beliefs, even if they weren't his own. The older he got the more he wanted to learn about God. He's been on countless mission trips, visited numerous churches, and helped out more people that I could count. Everything my grandpa did revolved around Christ. In fact, my grandaddy died doing what he loved best...learning about His Father.
There was a woman speaking at Deason Church of Christ that Sunday night about "the end times". My grandpa decided to visit just to hear a different perspective and maybe learn a little something more. 
After the sermon, he got in his truck and started to head back home to my grandma. Somewhere along the way, he started to have serious heart pains and pulled over on the side of the road. It was there that his heart finally beat its last beat and he died to go to Heaven.

I was headed to my grandma's today and when I got off the interstate, I started to think about my grandaddy like I always do when I hit Shelbyville, and I was overwhelmed with the need to visit Deason CofC. When I spotted it, I pulled into the empty parking lot. It's a simple, small, white church with trees and horses surrounding it. 
I loved being able to stand right where my grandpa stood soon before he passed. It was like I was there with him. I could feel him there with me. I had tears streaming down my face as I stood there in the parking lot, just thinking about him.
I miss him dearly, but I know that one day, when there will be no more pain and suffering, I'll get to see him again!