So since the engagement of one of my very best friends, I am posting this in honor of her. She has been so very dear to me throughout all my years growing up, and I have treasured all the memories I have with her. Those memories have shaped who I am today, some more than others but nonetheless she is someone that has been so important to me. She has been like a sister and I love her dearly. Here are just a few snapshots of us together.

Congratulations Molly and Chris!

"Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always. A promise. Like a reward for persisting through life so long alone. The belief in each other and the possibility of love. A decision, to ignore or simply rise above the pain of the past. The covenant, which at once binds two souls and yet severs prior ties. The celebration, of the chance for two will always be stronger than one. Like a team, braced against the tempest’s of the world. And love... will always be the guiding force in our lives. For tonight is mere formality.. only an announcement to the world for feelings long held. Promises made long ago -- in the sacred space of our hearts.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..

This past weekend we went to Auburn for their homecoming weekend. It was good to see friends and hang out. We went to Nat's KD banquet one night and this is a picture of all of us

From the left: Mama Joan, Emily, Natalie, Me, Caleb (Nat's boyfriend) and Papa Paul in the back!

Although Auburn was fun, my favorite part of the weekend was going to Birmingham for Secret Church. Like I said before it was 6 hours (6 to midnight) which is a LONG time to sit in church. I was a skeptic going into it, but I was quickly convinced it would be worth it. We got in there and some of our ranch friends were there so we sat with them.. We had a little bit of worship and then we dug right in. The material we were covering was Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare. It was so thought provoking but I loved that Dr. Platt gave so much background from the word. When you walk in the door they give you an outline, 81 pages to be exact, of notes. Scripture to back up everything he said. At the beginning of his talk he said a little about taking things out of context and how its so important to read not just a verse or two but to get a true understanding of what is going on in the passage because otherwise you can get the bible to essentially say anything you want it to.

Here's how the material was broken up:

1. Angels (Who are they? How are they organized? What do they do? How do they relate to us?)

2. Demons (Who are they? How are they organized? What do they do? How do they relate to us?)

3. Spiritual Warfare (Old Testament and Spiritual Warfare, Christ and Spiritual Warfare, The Church and Spiritual Warfare)

4. Controversial Questions (What about deliverance ministry, Can a Christian be demon possessed, Should we talk with demons (conversing, naming, binding demons)? and can we acquire or inherit demons from other people or places).

Between segments we had breaks so it was nice to get up and get some refreshments and stretch our legs. Before the breaks we would do something different each time. Once we had members of the church that had come from a persecuted church and they shared their story. It was amazing to hear their journey and I was astounded to hear that these things still happen around the world today. It made me realize how isolated America is and how we truly are spoiled. Another time we prayed for different areas around the world where there are lots of people being persecuted for their faith. I prayed for China because each notebook came with 1 of 10 different areas and facts about that place and that was the location in my notebook.

Dr. Platt is such a gifted teacher, entertainer, and pastor who really knows the word and understands the heart of God and his people. He has traveled to many of these places himself so its very close to his heart and he's very passionate about ministry to these places. So it wasn't until about 11:40 that I really started to feel tired, he went about 30 minutes over (which isn't bad considering all the material we covered) so by the time we were done it was close to 1 am. It was well worth it though.

Today was my last day at work... I didn't do a whole lot with patients because I really just didn't feel like working. Haha so I didn't. I just hung out. The whole crew at the hospital was so sweet. They made me come into the break room and had balloons and cake and cards and sweet little gifts. Some of the girls I work with but had their off days even came up to say goodbye. It was really nice of them.

So for those of you Grey's Anatomy fans out there, this was on this past week and I got tears when I heard her say this. It sums up why I love working with these kids. I know this is corny quoting Grey's Anatomy, but I don't care. Because it was well said.

"These are tiny humans. These are children. They believe in magic. They play pretend. There is fairy dust in their I.V. bags. They hope and they cross their fingers and they make wishes. And that makes them more resilient than adults. They recover faster, survive worse. They believe. In peds, we have miracles and magic. In peds, anything is possible."

Some news on the apartment: After a few hiccups, we have got it all worked out. The lease should be ready to sign on Monday which means I will get to move in when I drive into town.. Yayyy! So if anyone wants to come to dallas and help move in, feel free!

This weekend we are going to Athens for the UGA/Auburn game. Emily is really excited as this is her alma mater and she has been dying to return to Sanford Stadium.

"Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"

Isaiah 30:20-21

How is it already November?

Well October flew by... So since I haven't posted anything in a while I will just sum up what I can remember..

Emily and I got to go to the Kings of Leon concert in Birmingham mid october...It was an awesome concert and it was a lot of fun... We got to see ranch friends and hang out with Kim one last time (she's moving to Nassau to do mission work).

Last weekend Brian came into town and another one of Emily's high school friends... We hung out and watched a lot of football, got in the hot tub, and just relaxed all weekend. We got to play spades and I didn't realize how much I missed card games and just hanging out until then... But I'm looking forward to the holidays where I will get plenty of opportunities to do those things.

We are about to fly out later this afternoon and Emily is flying us to Auburn for their homecoming weekend... The parents are driving down friday for the game and such but we are going early because Bennett is on the worship staff for campus crusades so we get to go watch him play tonight and just hang out. Friday we are heading to Birmingham for Secret Church and we are so excited about that... This weekend is full of exciting events but more of that later...

I'm sure there was other stuff in between all that but thats all I can think of for now... Updates about moving to Dallas: We found an apartment in Dallas that has a great community of people and its in a great location for all of us, we even have a few friends that are already living there so they will be there to welcome us and help move us in! I'll be living with Emily Edmonds and Alanna Blair. So we are all really excited about that and are still waiting to hear back from The Village on whether we have been approved for the apartment. I'll be driving back to Texas on Friday the 20th and I'm hoping to drive all day (without stopping in Birmingham) and make it back to Dallas before its too late. Only time will tell.

That's all I can think of for now.. Hopefully I'll be seeing most of ya'll sooon!

There is freedom in surrender

I've come to the realization in the past week that this semester has been nothing but a vacation. Simply a chance for me to just to relax and find out more about myself. As I was in my final semester at ACU and trying to figure out the next step, I knew the Lord wanted me home for a season. How long that season was supposed to last was unknown to me. I went dutifully for the summer but not long enough to get involved. Long enough to check it off my list and say that I did what I was supposed to do. I didn't wholeheartedly look for a job there because I didn't want to find one. I just was.

So I ended up in Rome and have loved it. I have loved living with the Brocks. I have loved getting to know this family as an extension of my own. I have loved being away and independent and just doing my own thing. As I got to Rome I didn't know what was next after this internship at Floyd. I didn't know where God wanted me so I began to pray. I prayed that God would open doors and that he would send somewhere, anywhere. I was ready to go and get out and do something different. I was living in Rome but knew I wouldn't end up here long term. So I prayed for the next step. As I started looking into other options and filling out applications the reality of going places all over the world seemed so real. It was exciting knowing that I could just pick up and leave and do something else in a matter of months. As I started filling out all these applications I realized that I had no place I wouldn't go. I told the Lord that if he opened doors, I would walk through them. Because I had no place I wouldn't go I just prayed that if it wasn't the right place for me to be, that he would close those doors and that would be okay. Because the truth is, if I got more than one job at all these different places I would have had a hard time deciphering which one God wanted me to do and I'd end up going where I wanted. So the Lord was faithful and closed doors.

As I'm still praying and trying to figure out where to go, I think I'm hearing him wrong. Basically I think he's telling me that he wants me at home. I'm thinking there's no way I'm going home. So for a while I'm dragging my feet as God and I are in this argument about me saying, "where you will send me, I will go", and thinking that that was supposed to be anywhere but home. Because I could always go back. It wasn't what I had planned but it's where I know God wants me. I feel like the Lord has called me home and the summer when I was there I was so focused on leaving that I wasn't fully able to be there. My heart was always searching for what was to come next.

So as I'm trying to figure out what I'm even doing in Georgia for this semester God continues to answer. Going home is fun at times, but its also hard. It's one of the most challenging places for me to be. So God has given me this time to have an "adventure" but also to rest up before I go home and finish what was started there. I realized that if I never left after graduating, I would have always felt trapped. I would have felt like I had the chance to leave and never did. But now that I am gone, and have had the experience, I realize: the only place I want to be is where He wants me to be. He has given me time for myself. 100% me-time. But more so than I have ever been, I'm so excited to go home. I don't know what I'll be doing yet as far as a job goes. I don't know where I'm going to live yet. But I do know, God is good. God is faithful. And God's provision is so so perfect.

As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the Lord is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Psalm 18:30

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it

I love Needtobreathe... If you haven't heard there stuff. You must do yourself a favor and listen to their music.

I went to Bham this past weekend for their concert but because it was sold out both Saturday and Sunday, we weren't able to get tickets. Since we had just seen them in Athens a few weekends before we ended up just hanging out with friends that came into town. Here's a mini breakdown of the weekend.

Friday we woke up and shopped in Rome for a while, then headed on to the ham where we met up with friends for dinner. After dinner more friends came to the restaurant so we just stayed put and ended up seeing a lot of friends.

Saturday we woke up and Kristin made us cinnamon rolls while we talked and hung out and then we watched football. All day. It's a reason I love the fall, but by the end of the day, I had reached my max..

Sunday was a great morning of hanging out and going to church and lunch.. then to the dollar movie after going home to put on sweats because it was rainy. And what better way to spend a rainy day then watching movies? So we watched the proposal since JT and Em hadn't seen it.. It was hilarious, maybe even better the second time around. Then we drove back in the rain which was no fun but luckily Em's a good dj so it turned out okay and we made it home safe.

A few of us on saturday night after dinner (Bee, Emily, Kristin, JT, and myself).

For those of you wondering about the Teach for America status, I didn't get the final interview. But TFA as well as other places I'm applying are all just options... Because I don't have anything I'm dying to do. I don't have a huge passion to teach, just to help and be around kids. So there are a ton of jobs and opportunities out there that I'm excited to explore. Some I'm looking into are Teaching Fellows (similar to teach for america), World Teach, Outward Bound, Colorado Snowboard teacher/daycare person/bum, and others.... So really i'm open to suggestions. We'll see how these all pan out, but in the meantime I'm just prayin' and waitin' to see what God's got planned next... I'll let you know when I know :)

Be KIND.

As some of you know, one of my best friends, molly has been working on a documentary. She has been traveling around for almost a month, about 3+ weeks and still has 2 weeks to go before she makes it back to Cali in order to get footage from all across America of middle school girls. The KIND CAMPAIGN is a movement that focuses on middle school and high school girls to start treating each other better and stop all the meanness that happens amongst so many girls. So the campaign team was in Atlanta and because I'm only about an hour and a half away I had to go see them! I got to watch their presentation at Tech High School and it was awesome to see everything I have heard so much about in action. After the presentation and shooting of some of the girls telling their personal story, we went back to Lauren's best friends' house. It was fun to get to just hang out and we actually filmed a little piece because we were at Lauren's best friends' house and I was there with Molly which was really cool.

Tetia was there! I was excited and surprised to see her because I had no idea she was on this cross country journey!

Mol and I in front of the kind mini van!

Check out more of what they are doing, where they have been, and all about the campaign itself on their website. www.KINDcampaign.com

In other news, I got asked to join Teach For America in a phone interview!! There are typically 3 steps. The written application, the phone interview, and the day long in person interview. So my phone interview is this Monday (as in 2 days! eeek) at 4:20 pm eastern time. So if you think about it please please say a prayer for that process and whether or not this opportunity is right for me.

With arms high and hearts abandoned

I love Sundays. I love waking up and being excited about church. I love waking up late enough that I feel rested, but early enough for an afternoon nap. I love spending a day with no agenda. I love being able to relax with friends and family and just simply be.

This weekend was just a fun relaxing weekend which was perfect after a busy/stressful week at the hospital. Because we have been gone the past couple of weekends, we decided to take advantage of having nothing planned this weekend. So friday night we took a drive in the car at sunset around the city and to see Emily's high school which is also a boarding school for some. I was fascinated by it because of the rules and regulations for a boarding student and because I have never been to one so she gave me a tour of the campus. After our little drive we came back to the house and ate a few snacks then heated up the hot tub, picked a delicious bottle of red wine, and turned on the music outside for a calm evening. It was wonderful and after about an hour in the hot tub we came back inside to watch a movie but we were both out in the first 20 minutes..

So saturday rolls around and neither one of us change out of our pajamas all day. We both woke up and read a little cleaned our rooms, made a full breakfast then just chilled. We watched a few shows/movies in the morning/afternoon-ish and then for the evening watched football and just hung around the house. We both felt completely worthless being couch potatoes all day but we have no friends and really just had nothing else to do.

So today was awesome maybe because we actually did something unlike the rest of the weekend. We tried a new church that was good, but neither one of us was thrilled about so we'll keep lookin' for one we like. This afternoon we just took naps and halfheartedly worked on things for work then around 4 hopped in the car. Anna came over and the 3 of us headed to Atlanta. We went to a church service there that was absolutely incredible. It's the Passion City Church and Chris Tomlin does worship there along with Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, and Matt Redman but he's on tour with Casting Crowns so he wasn't there tonight.. It was amazing. The lesson was about grace (which you can hear online) but what always touches my heart is the music. I love it and it was so loud and it was incredible to look around and see so many young adults just rocking out and loving Jesus all at the same time. It was an amazing night of worship followed by great company and good conversation for the car ride home.

"Music is like you touch the pulse of the world...

... Music is always happening, and sometimes you get to touch it for a while, and when you do, you know that everything's connected to everything else" Kim Edwards

I'm a YOGI!! Emily and I started Yoga this last week, we meet on monday nights and its awesome. There are 8 people in our class but they only allow a maximum of 10 to keep it small so its a good size. We did a lot of stretching this past week so its been good because aside from running and workouts I don't do the flexibility stuff I used to so this is just a good consistent way to keep up with that.

On other news, I applied for Teach for America so keep me in your prayers regarding what my plans are for the next season of life... I'm open to options and I don't have my heart set on anything specific, but I just decided to go ahead and apply to keep my options open... I am reading a daily devotional type book and it was talking about living in dependence on Him and earlier this week it read, "you keep your plans tentative knowing that My plans are far superior." I thought it was a really unique way to put it.

We are really excited about all the news shows coming out this week because we have no friends here other then our work friends which we see plenty of during the work day... So typically in the evenings, its just the fam... I only watched 2 tv shows before I got here, and I'm pretty sure I watch at least 12 now... Awesome. I have read 6 books since I have been here too. Oh and I have never been consistent exerciser although I like to think I am- it was more on whims or when I would get stressed. But since I have been in georgia, I work out daily (minus weekends), read daily, watch too much tv, and still get to bed early.. Who knew how much time friends take out of your schedule?!

In a daydream

I just left the hospital and have been there all morning.. We (Emily and I) got there at 7:15 ish to scrub in and watch Dr Brock do a spine exposure... I don't really know the technical names for everything but it was crazy. We watched them prep the patient after she had gone under and then the cutting began. Basically we saw him cut her stomach, through her muscles, move everything out of the way so they could get to the spine. They did a lot of stuff that I wouldn't know what to tell you or how to tell you and then put it all back. Sewing up each layer and putting it all back where it is supposed to go. It was gnarly. And we didn't watch from an observation deck because apparently those are only in grey's anatomy (who knew?!) so we stood next to the patient. Like I could stick my hand out and touch her spine. Yeah I don't know what I was doing there or how I got there. We had talked about watching surgeries and I was like yeah okay, and the next thing I know i'm looking all inside this lady. It looked cool though.

For those of you wondering, I didn't once get queasy or sick or lightheaded or anything... I was pleasantly surprised with myself. haha cause I was definitely expecting to have to take a minute or two and step outside. But I did good. Even with all the stapling and needles. Um after we went to radiology and looked at some x-rays and that was it. He was about to do some other surgery but we left because we are headed out of town today. I'm actually waiting on emily to pack right now.

Labor day was good.. Bennett and Natalie came home which the parents were thrilled about and some other people came over and we had bbq and just hung out, watched tennis and just relaxed..

We are headed to auburn in a little bit and we are going to see bennett, natalie, and a bunch of friends down there so im excited about that. We are going to the game tomorrow night which will be super fun cause night games are the best and i'll get to see a bunch of people I haven't got to see yet.. I'm new to the whole auburn, alabama, georgia rivalry because the teams i'm usually cheering for, or against, are in the big 12. So this is gonna be fun to pick a new team and I just love football season so i'm super pumped.

Other than that life is good.. I need to purchase a rain coat. The week at the hospital was good.. A lot of the kids are starting to get sick cause there is a bug going around.. which is good because we have been busy but some of these kids look miserable. :( Um that's all for now.

Happy Friday!

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” Jean Jacques Rousseau

So this week at the hospital has been good.. It's been crazy but anything less would make the time pass slowly, which has not been a problem yet. So my assignment tomorrow is to shop! Yeahhhh!!... So I'm heading to wal mart to get a bunch of games/toys for the kiddos. So to all you mommies out there... Any suggestions? Kids favorites? Here are a few I'm planning on getting and why:

- candyland (good for counting and taking turns)

- sorry (rules and number i.d.)

- scrabble Jr. (words, letters, spelling, taking turns)

- charades (social skills)

- cards/Go fish/uno- (language, memory, attention)

So now that you get the idea, i'm also getting puzzles, strategy games, catch phrase jr, connect four, guess who, stuff like that.. I'll be getting stuff for the younger kids too like sound boards, mirrors, rattles to help figure out where they are developmentally but i'll also be looking for distraction toys for the treatment room like bubbles, loud toys, bright toys, i spy, where's waldo, etc.

All that to say, if you have any you can think of that you think might be a hit for the kids feel free to let me know!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!!!!!

Today is Bryce's birthday and I'm sad I'm not there to celebrate the big double digits so I'm posting a few of my favorite pictures of him...

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY BOB!!!!!!! hugs and kisses! :)

The week...

Hello all... Okay so the internet has been down and back up and either I just don't feel like updating or the internet is down so I apologize for this being so delayed...

The week at the hospital was awesome. This was my first full week and it went better then I could have imagined. The hospital here has always wanted a Child Life Specialist but doesn't have the budget to hire one, so when I showed up they were really excited. That being said, they had no expectations and really just let me go on my own. When we talked about it all, it sounded great but now that I have had the week to myself and to hangout and help the kids its been somewhat scary.. I have been making all kinds of coloring books about getting operations and different procedures but have just left it up to the nurses to do all the medical talk. I just basically do medical play and activities with the kids until I get comfortable around everything to do more.. Basically I'm just taking baby steps until I feel like I can do more and day by day seeing what I think needs to be done. Its been good, but all the freedom has been a little scary.

This past weekend I went to Athens for the NeedToBreathe concert which was incredible. The band was awesome and being in the venue when so many people were just loving the music and god and just being around so many people was awesome. They have a new CD that came out on tuesday I think and they played a few songs from it. I went with emily and met some of her friends and met up with some of the ranch kids so it was a fun group that wasn't too big, but big enough that we could all have fun... I only have a few pictures, but here are a few...

Needtobreathe!!!!!!!

Seth..
This is Annalee and I... She's a Rancher...

Today was Sunday so we went to church, which was good but emily and I are still trying to find a church that suites us so we are still in search for one we like... We'll see, hopefully soon we can find one but after lunch we ate with the grandparents which was fun because they make everything homemade and old fashioned so its fun to visit with them and do something different on sundays. Tonight there was a party here for all the doctors and their wives from the hospitals so em and I helped set up and hang out for a bit then hid upstairs watching movies...

This week will be good... Always something different in the hospital so its not usually boring... It is one of our patients 16th birthday on tuesday and she's been in the hospital for a while so I'm trying to think of something special she can enjoy because it sucks to be in the hospital at all, let alone on your birthday, and of all birthdays its your 16th.. Which at that age is a big deal so if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. She has to stay in her bed which is the hard part.. I'm getting a bunch of stuff together to decorate her room but she can't have cake or sweets either... So.. That being said, let me know if anything comes to mind.

That's all for now... love from romeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Flyinggg

Soo this is a brief overview of this last week since its been crazy busy, but a good busy..

At the beginning of the week I got to go flying in a little jet because Emily and her dad are both taking lessons to get their pilots license. So she asked if I wanted to go flying and I said umm yes...

So it was a lot of fun, the instructor is named Earl Tillman and he's a funny sweet old man. Here are some pictures... It was a tiny.. It could hold 4 people... Emily was really good at talking to the radio towers. She sounded like a seasoned pilot. The last picture is when we flew over Rome and took a picture of her house.. If you look real close, in the front of the house you can see my little silver car on the light part of the driveway. Maybe not on this blog.

It was cool... I want to be a pilot now. Not really but maybe.. I got an internship type job at Floyd Medical Center. This family has been so gracious in helping me get plugged in and finding something that I really want to do... I'll be working in the Pediatrics unit and just kinda showing them what I can do, helping the kids, showing them the idea of a Child Life Specialist... More like an activity coordinator, i'll be planning activities and hanging out with all the kids that are there... So it's perfect, I don't have strict hours and they are really excited to have some extra help with someone that knows a little more about the hospital then most volunteers. I get to wear scrubs everyday so that is a huge bonus... Last night we went out for sushi, Em had to babysit so I went with the parents and it was a hoot...THe internet has been down because of all these storms coming through but Ill try to post at least once a week or so with updates and info on the job.. That's all I got, I hope everyone is doing well!

Georgia on my mind

I am finally in Georgia!!! This trip kept getting postponed, but I made it! I left Monday morning at 9:30-ish and traveled out of Texas, in and out of louisiana and mississippi (which was gorgeous and lots of fun to drive through) then into alabama where I stayed to see some friends for the evening. It was perfect timing because Kim got back from the Ranch the night before and was leaving this morning for the beach and it was perfect that I was passing through that night so I got to see her! So after 9 hours in the car I made it and got to hangout and see some ranch friends then eat breakfast this morning with them and hit the road to rome! I got here this afternoon and unloaded the car, ate some lunch and visited with Mrs. Brock for a little bit. This family seems wonderful and I am so excited to live here for the next several months!

Some prayer requests: For mom as she continues to heal from surgery and for a healthy/speedy recovery because I know its killing her to be waited on and not be able to do anything herself. As well as prayers for this semester as everyone is beginning new adventures and figuring out which direction to go..

I'll post pictures of the Brock's and their wonderful home when I get some more spare time..

:)

Micah 7:8

Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;

When I fall, I will rise;

Though I sit in darkness,

The Lord will be my light.

The Bachelorette

So last night I went over to the Edmonds house and watched the Bachelorette with Emily, Caroline, Collin, Melissa Petty, Alanna Blair, and Paige Legan. After we watched it everyone was pissed. It was mildly entertaining because no one expected Ed to win. We were all going for Kiptyn or Reid. But here's why I'm glad that Kiptyn didn't win: I think that so often we get dumped or end a relationship and wonder what is wrong with ourselves. When your evaluating the situation you think of ways you could have enhanced the situation or continued to let it descend. Whether that be consciously or subconsciously, I think we all have reasons we blame ourselves for the relationship ending. As America watched this season, I think most people would say Kiptyn was not a bad person, there is nothing wrong with him, and he seemed like a good guy- yet he still got the boot. Just because something goes wrong or the relationship ends, maybe its nothing more than it wasn't as good a fit. Kiptyn will have no problem getting a wonderful girl and if Jillian is happy and was being true to her heart, then hopefully her and Ed will last.

I realize that was a semi in depth analysis for a reality tv show but that was just a thought I had last night as this happened.

Beginning again..

So I have decided to start blogging again due to the fact that I am moving to Georgia and I hate talking on the phone... For those of you that I have not talked to in a while, or just haven't told (which is more likely), I'm moving to Rome, Georgia. I'll be living with Emily Brock, one of my good friends from the JH Ranch that I worked at the past 2 summers.

So I'm trying to get used to blogging again, so I'm going to just start with my week thus far. Also, because its been somewhat eventful and mildly entertaining.

Monday, I drove back from Abilene with my Grandparents who have been staying with us so that was fun. On Monday night Paige Legan, Emily Edmonds, Alanna Blair, and myself all went to the rangers game. We met up with Hutton Harris and he sat with us for the game and then after we all went to get drinks and appetizers in celebration of Emily's 23rd birthday. It was a lot of fun and it turned out to be a gorgeous night. It was supposed to rain, but didn't at all and we beat the Red Sox. There were a ton of Red Sox fans there so that made it even better.

Tuesday I took Justin to the airport and then after had an eye doctor appointment. The guy that was helping me before my doctor got in dilated my eyes. Which is normal and I have had done before, but he tried to use an old bottle of dilation drops and it was empty so he grabbed a new one and poured a TON. Not just a drop or two, I'm talking like 5. I couldn't see anything close up which is normal but everything was super blurry. Awesome. So I needed new glasses and after my check up and everything I still couldn't see close up, just from a distance. WHen we were trying on new glasses I had to look into the mirror from far away but couldn't see close up. My sweet friends that work up in the Ballard office, Mona and Jan, helped me pick out glasses that I'm anxious to see what they look like on me, now that my eyes are working again.. We'll see, I'll keep you posted.

After that I went to work for a couple hours since I have been gone for the past week in Horseshoe Bay and Abilene. Straight from work I got to go to the Coldplay concert. It was INCREDIBLE>> I loved it. They are amazing in concert and if you ever have the chance to go, you should.. Cause it rocks. They played all my favorite songs, some old, and new. I went with Carly and Ben, Landon, Zach and Kara, Ginny, Shelley, and a few others and it was so fun. It was a HUGE crowd and I saw Emily and Paige who were there sitting right behind us, So I ended up sitting with them for the concert.. Hutton was there with his brother and he came and watched part of the concert with us. It started at 7 and was over around midnight. They also gave away free CD's at the end of the concert which was legit. They are neon pink and green and the CD is neon orange.. It's called "Left Right Left Right Left."

So now its wednesday and I got to start my day off at the dentist. I really like my dentist and I have known him since I was young as its one of Justin's childhood friends' dad. ALso, I have never had a cavity in my life, which I don't say to brag because I should have had more, but so that you understand where I am coming from when I retell this story. Never having a cavity, I have no idea what to expect when I go in for a filling. I get there a little bit early and am waiting to get called back. Once I do, I go back to the chair and she starts telling me what's going to happen, taking my blood pressure, etc. I told her that I had never had a filling and was kinda nervous due to the fact that shots/needles are involved. I am sitting there and she uses numbing cream and I start to think too much about what's going to happen. This mistake dooms me for the rest of the morning. I start to breathe heavy, even though nothing is happening I'm thinking about what's to come. Dr. Proctor comes in and within the first 5 minutes I can tell I'm about to pass out, but of course I don't say anything because I'm thinking i'll be fine, just breathe. False. I black out. So its just for a second but they are like are you okay, your fine, but I told them I just am bad at this. They let me rest for a couple of minutes and then begin again. I think I'm fine again, but of course, I'm not. I start the whole thing over and then next thing I know I have cold paper towels on my face and a fan blowing on me. Once the color came back to my face and I stopped sweating profusely, the doctor tries to start on a tooth that he didn't think needed to be numbed. But of course because I'm a freak, I can't handle that either and my stomach starts hurting. He tells me to relax, he's done with shots but that doesn't help. It's not that I don't know this, and I wasn't really nervous anymore about the fillings, but I just couldn't calm down. So then he puts an oxygen mask on me and tells me to breathe. He ends up giving me laughing gas because I wasn't relaxing as much as he wanted. So needless to say, it was a horrible experience. Afterwards I realize its not a big deal, but for whatever reason, I can't seem to calm down once I get going. Haha the nurse was like do you get panic attacks often? I said, uh not really, just when needles are involved. I'm glad they were all such good sports about putting up with me and said it wasn't a big deal, but I felt stupid.

Well thats all for now, I'm just trying to get back into the habit of blogging but as always I love comments, so feel free to leave some!