FrIeNdS

When I was in middle school, we sang "Friends Forever" EVERY day in Chapel. Now, I have some wonderful friends, but that song became really old very quickly. However, it is interesting that my best friends in middle school are still my best friends today. We have shared OH, so MANY memories! No matter the time between our visits, we always pick up where we left off.

Saturday was a wonderful day, because I was able to see these VERY special people...

Mary Brook moved to Seattle a little over a year ago, and I have not seen her since August 2008. I have missed her tremendously and made a special trip home to see her. She brought her boyfriend home for his first visit to the South, which included a LOT of food and an Alabama football game.Along with Mary Brook and Nick, I met Melissa, Eric, and Codi for breakfast. Mary Brook, Melissa, Codi, and I have been friends forever. Melissa and I go all the way back to Kindergarten. Codi and I became good friends around 4th Grade, and Mary Brook came to Mars Hill in middle school. We only wish Elizabeth could have been there with us, and the circle would have been complete. We enjoyed breakfast and a quick visit. Like always, we talked non-stop and had the best time!! Nick, please come back, so we can get to know you better.

Well, the fun did not end there...

I left Florence mid-afternoon to go back to Memphis for another visit with some special friends. In college, I made some more amazing friends, and I feel like we have known each other much longer. Emily, is one of those friends. My brother, Adam and her sister, Leanne were friends in college and convinced us to be suite mates our freshman year. Well, I'm so glad we listened to them. Emily and I have shared numerous odd and funny memories, but I cannot share them on this blog. She has always been there. After we graduated from Lipscomb, she married and moved to Memphis, like me. However, she has moved back to Nashville, and I miss her!! Emily and her husband, Ryan, came to visit on Saturday, and it was so much fun to catch up with them.

I met them at Chris and Rebekah's house, because they had to see baby Rylan!! It was so good to see everyone. After visiting with the Askins', we went by Bella Vita (Emily's old store), which is such a cute store. We ate dinner at Germantown Commissary and had cupcakes at Muddy's. YUM!! The Commissary is one of my favorite BBQ places in Memphis, and of course, Muddy's is the best cupcake shop!! After dinner, we hung out at the apartment. It was so good to visit with them!!

Well, I was thinking last night after my wonderful day with friends, how blessed I am. When Craig and I were married, I had 8 amazing girls stand with me as bridesmaids. Yesterday, I was able to see 5 of them. Thank you to Codi, Melissa, Mary Brook, Rebekah, and Emily for all the memories. You are very special, and I pray we are "Friends Forever."

The Little Things...

Sometimes it's the little things that really hit me...

Tonight, Craig and I decided to make homemade pizza. YUM!! This is a family recipe, and Craig likes it better than our favorite pizza chain, Papa John's. I think one of the reasons I enjoy cooking so much is because I come from a long line of amazing cooks. My mom always cooked when I was young. As a child, I wished we went out more, but now, I'm so thankful for her good meals and wish I could have them more. My grandmother is a natural. Her cooking is another meal I miss. I love to make family recipes. They are fun to make and always make me feel like part of home is with me.

Homemade pizza reminds me of my aunt, Cathy. I believe the recipe belongs to her, and I remember eating it at her house on numerous occasions. As many of you know, she passed away suddenly this summer. As I was rolling out the dough on my cookie sheet (that's how she always made it), I started crying. I couldn't hold back the tears. I miss her, and I know I'm not the only one. I know my uncle misses her, as well as her sons, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren, her sister, her mother, her friends, her nieces, her nephews and so many more people. I miss her bright smile that was always on her face. I miss her laugh. I miss so many things about her. Sometimes it's the little moments in life that bring back a flood of memories. Tonight, she has been on my mind. She was an amazing person and a part of her lives on in the loved ones she left behind.

While I was at her house, during the week of her illness and passing, I remember something Jackie (her daughter-in-law) said to sweet Naomi(Jackie's little girl). "Naomi, do you know what Anna's middle name is?" Naomi, of course, did not know. Jackie went on to tell Naomi that my middle name was Catherine, which was also Naomi's middle name. She also told Naomi, Gran (my Aunt Cathy) must really be a special woman to have a niece and two granddaughters named after her. I am honored to share my aunt's name and hope to follow the example she left me of a woman devoted to the service of her Lord and of others.

My Wonderful Saturday

Craig and I had planned to go to Nashville for the weekend, but after the way the Titans played today, I'm glad we stayed in Memphis. With the wet forecast of the weekend, we decided we did not want to sit through the game in the rain or drive home in it. This was our first weekend in Memphis in over two months with nothing planned. Friday night we went to dinner at Cafe Ole and then watched Atonement. Saturday we stayed home and watched football all day. I LOVED IT!! Alabama was actually on t.v. and I was able to watch the game, which was a first for me this season. ROLL TIDE!! We also watched Craig's teams: Tennessee and Texas. I relaxed, cleaned, watched football, and worked on my scrapbook. I stayed in my pajamas all day!! After all the travels over the past few weekends, it was nice to stay home. Some weekends it's nice to do nothing. I'm glad we were able to enjoy it since the next few weekends will be busy again. Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!!

Sunday

Two very powerful events:

• "Cardboard Testimonies" at White Station: Several members shared their struggles through writing on cardboard. One side exposed their sin, while the other side claimed God's grace and goodness. A very powerful message through a very simple thought. (Check out cardboard testimonies on YouTube)
• Rob Bell's video "Rhythm": We started his video series for our small group on Sunday nights. The video is short (12 minutes) but produces much discussion. I loved his idea of living "in tune" with God's music. His full analogy is much better than I can describe, so watch the video. I don't think you will be disappointed.
  

My prayer is that I can boldly speak of God's grace and goodness to the people I come in contact with daily and that my life stays in tune with the music. I pray not only my words but my actions will testify of God's love.

Welcome to the world...

September 11...
is a day that most of us remember as a day of tragedy. We will always remember where we were when we heard the news of the plane crashes. I was a senior in high school. In the mornings, I worked with a Kindergarten teacher at a public elementary school. I will never forget turning on the t.v. in her room, while the students were in gym, as we watched the buildings fall. A senior in high school...seems like so long ago.

Friday, September 11, 2009...
is another day I will always remember as a day of new life. Craig, his mom, and I were on the way to dinner at On The Border, when I received the phone call from Rebekah. Rebekah is a life long friend of mine. She has just given birth to a healthy baby girl, named Rylan. I was so excited to hear the news and couldn't wait to meet Rylan! So, of course, after dinner, we had to go by the hospital for just a few minutes to see everyone!! What a beautiful baby!! I also had to make another trip on Saturday, because I did not have my camera on Friday night. Congrats Chris and Rebekah!! I'm so happy for the two of you, and I know Rylan will be blessed by having you as parents.

Heads Up Seven Up

On Friday, you guessed it, Craig and I made another road trip. When I got off work, we left Memphis and went to Nashville, where we met our friends James and Elizabeth at Lipscomb. The four of us then made the trip to Knoxville. I know what you are thinking. How could I go there when I bleed Crimson and White?? Well, the only reason to visit the city is to see our good friends Russ and Heather. Russ and Heather moved to Knoxville this summer after spending the past 2 years in Memphis with us. The four of us, along with Brandon and Meaghan, arrived in Knoxville around midnight on Friday. It was so good to all be together again!! Brandon, Meaghan, Craig, and I stayed with Russ and Heather and enjoyed visiting until the early hours of the morning.

Important Disclaimer: I am a TRUE Alabama fan and what happened on Saturday about killed me. If you too are a die hard fan for the Tide, please skip the next paragraph. Do not judge me for what happened next...
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On Saturday, we made a visit to another SEC campus for the football game. The colors I saw were dirty orange and ugly. They sang an annoying song throughout the entire game called "Rocky Top." The best part of the morning was eating at Chick-fil-A for breakfast. We then watched as the players walked to the stadium and as the band marched and played. The home team did win. Why was I happy for that? Well, all my friends I was spending the weekend with, were for the home team, and I did not want the rest of the weekend to be ruined.
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Okay, Alabama fans, you may begin reading again...

After the game, we went to eat at Sawyer's. We were all so hungry! Next, we went back to the apartment to clean up before going out for the night. For dessert, we went to this fun place called Menchie's. You pick your flavor of yogurt and toppings to make your own ice cream sundae. I chose Strawberry Kiwi with cheesecake bites and kiwis. It was so yummy and such a fun place to go! After dessert, we did a little shopping before going to another friend's house to play Cornhole. Elizabeth and I were on a team, and I had the best partner. We won both games we played, although it was not due to any good skills on my part. Elizabeth was awesome!When we returned to Russ and Heather's apartment, we played the game the eight of us LOVE most...Nerts! The eight of us would play this game in Memphis whenever we had the chance, so of course, we stayed up REALLY late. Saturday night we played for over 2 hours with the girls dominating the first game and the boys winning the second. As the night went on, everything became very funny, as it always does as the time gets later. We also played our own version of "Heads Up Seven Up" to make decisions. We played. We laughed. We had fun!Sunday morning we slept in after staying up really late. We went to lunch at Soccer Taco, which was very tasty. A little more shopping followed lunch before returning to the apartment, for you guessed it, more games. We love playing games when we are together. We played several more hours of Nerts, as well as BuzzWord and Heads Up Seven Up. For dinner, we went to Sam & Andy's for steamed sandwiches. We went back to Menchie's for one more yummy treat. This time I had Dark Chocolate & Vanilla yogurt with oreo's, caramel cups, cookie dough bites, and fruit. I'm sure I gained 10 pounds!! We finished our trip by playing games.The weekend was so much fun!! Thanks to Russ and Heather for being wonderful hosts. We miss you so much in Memphis but are so thankful for your friendship.

"Burgerz? Not in our house."

I saw this quote on a Chick-fil-A billboard and loved it. Today, Chick-fil-A ran a promo for a free sandwich if you wore a sports team's logo. (If you are reading this on Monday, hurry...there is still time for your free Chick-fil-A). Well, Craig and I love C-F-A, so it was a wonderful day! We were in Nashville this morning after spending the weekend in Knoxville (a post on that trip to come). We ate a big breakfast with Craig's parents, so we were not hungry when we left. However, we were not going to miss our free C-F-A. Since Craig is in Med School and our income is minimal, we decided to stop at all the C-F-A's on the way back to Memphis. Yes, we came home with 10 sandwiches!! We made five different stops and found every C-F-A very busy. I guess this week at our house, there will be no burgerz. Thank you Chick-fil-A for providing lunch and dinner for us this week!!

Check YES or NO

Big Decision #1 for this Year: Where will we apply for residency?
Today was the big day for Craig to post his application for residency. Some of you may be asking, "What does this mean?" Well, as of now, Craig said YES to10 programs that he's interested in for his Family Medicine Residency. He has applied. Now, is the waiting period. Although there will be a lot of waiting this year, this is our first experience. Craig will either receive an interview from the program or he will not. Interviews can start as early as October and last until January. All of our programs are in the Southeast. Possible locations for our move to Residency in June 2010: Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, or South Carolina. We will continue to keep you posted with the process. Please continue to keep us in your prayers during this time.