Sweet Nieces

For the past few years, especially since my parents have been on the road working (they're long distance team truck drivers together), our family has tried to get together in September for both of my nieces birthdays. Natalie, who turned 9 this year, has a birthday on the 9th, and Reagan, who's 6 now, has a birthday today, the 25th. Last year, we all went to Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, NC. That was pretty fun!

This year, my mom decided to make it more of a "Girls Only" fun day.

On Saturday morning, the day started with my mom, my two nieces and me heading out to go to Toys R Us. Natalie told my mom, "One time, my dad went to that store, and I had to wait out in the car! I've always wanted to go inside!" Haha... so, of course, Grandma complied.  I don't really remember ever getting to go there as a child either. It's probably for the best! There's a LOT of cool stuff in there!

My sister and sister-in-law both had other things they had to attend to for the morning, so it was just the four of us. I was able to stick around for most of this leg of the race. I had to go back to the truck to wait while they finished picking out a little gift for Grandma to buy.  Unfortunately, I still have trouble staying on my feet for more than 20-30 minutes at a time, especially if I'm walking around. (I haven't posted about this just yet, but to brief those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, I fell in May and broke my leg.. a lot of times. ;) I had surgery to begin the repair process including adding a plate and seven screws to my bones. But, more on this later.)
I did get to look at a few fun things with the girls and snap a picture of Reagan being inducted into the Birthday Club at the store.

After this, we met up with one of my mom's sisters, Lora, and my cousin Roslyn. I was so excited they joined up with us! I don't get to see them very much. We six grabbed a quick lunch and moved on from there to meet up with my sister and sister-in-law at Bliss Spa/Nail Salon there in Hickory. While my sister got started with her nails, the rest of us started with pedicures. We had that place taken over in no time! :) (From farrrr in the back of the photo, to the front, it's Natalie, Reagan, Karen (sister-in-law), Aunt Lora, Roslyn.  Then me, then my mom on my other other side.) I wanted to try the pedicure thing. I am -not- a foot person. I don't enjoy feet. Not your feet, not my feet. No feet. *Unless you're under the age of three or so. haha* But, I do enjoy the AFTER-pedicure feet and toes. I'm also a creature of habit when it comes to polish colors, and thanks to Birchbox samples, I've been able to try some different things. I'm going on vacation next week, so I wanted something fun for my feet this time... and fun I chose! I've always loved those funky polish names. :)

"Yodel Me On My Cell" by OPI

We got pedicures, manicures, and even got treated to eyebrow waxes (do guys really know what it's like for us sometimes? ha) all courtesy of my sweet mama! We talked, laughed, and just spent a few hours chatting and sharing our 'finished products.' Here are the little girls' nails.

After this, as the evening was beginning, the original plans of going to play putt-putt and have dinner all as a family (meeting up with the guys at this point - and can I just go ahead and say how fun it is that one of those guys in the group is all for me, finally! ;)) seemed a little daunting, so we nixed the idea of putt-putt and went back to my parents' house to discuss dinner options. We decided on a little Japanese place really close to their house, so off we went again. It was fun to still hang out together and the kids, of course, continued to provide lots of entertainment. My nephew is 2 and a half now, and I promise, he gets funnier and funnier every time I see him! All three of the kids love to play games on my iPhone (thankfully, Damion has one too, so he can share that burden of little hands grabbing for them!).  Here's Reece letting me know (by his expression and his statement on the matter!) that he doesn't want to be in any more pictures. That's just too bad, sweet boy. :)  We headed back to my parents' after dinner again while they took the girls to pick out a cake at the store. It was really yummy!  I loved being with my family all weekend! I hope I'll always get to see them for their birthdays.

(and have I mentioned how happy I am that this guy got to be there this year, too?) I'm a happy girl...

I Gave It A Try

Very often, I end up with lots of beauty samples. I'm not talking about the incredible monthly Birchbox that I subscribe to (use that link to sign up through my referral!). I mean, I get random samples. Sometimes, from Sephora orders, sometimes in the mail, sometimes because I pick them up at random. Usually, they get tossed into a drawer in my bathroom cabinet, or I'll end up trying something once and forgetting about it (like perfume, for example!). Not today!

I'm planning a fun day for the girls in my small group where we're going to get together and just hang out and talk.. have lunch, drink coffee, and play around with some of my make up, nail polishes, etc. I don't know if anyone has disastrous experiences with "the smokey eye" like I do, but I thought it would be fun if we played around together! That's in a couple of weeks.

In gathering up things to prepare for our "girlie day of fun," I found a sample of Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation and wanted to go ahead and try it for myself.

The first fun thing is that the sample came with four different shades. Don't worry, I didn't try them all. ;) What I was able to do, however, was use the card they provided to match my skin tone. You hold the card against your jawline (it's clear except for the foundation shade examples), and the foundation that's best for you is the one that "disappears" against the natural tone of your skin. Simple enough! And it worked perfectly! I got matched up quickly with their 2.0 formula and peeled back the sample. It's enough for two days, so I'll be finishing it up tomorrow.. because it was great!

It was definitely much lighter than the foundation I've been using (which I have loved, too), and I feel like it's stayed on throughout my whole day into this evening just fine! That's a big plus for me because I hate feeling like I've gotten all 'done up' for the day, only to discover at 5 when I leave work and get in my car, it looks like I just woke up again.

I was so impressed right away with the smooth consistency and feel of the initial application of the foundation, that I went to look on Sephora's website and compare the price with the foundation I've been using. They're the same price for the same amount of ounces! Yippee! I'll definitely be buying this one instead!

Gasp! She blogged!

The pages are pretty dusty on all my blogs. Yes, all of them - as in, there are multiples. :)
The last two years weren't journaled for the e-world to see. Photos weren't posted. Exciting news wasn't shared. It doesn't mean fun and exciting things didn't happen for me! It honestly just means that I was lazy about posting anything. Will anyone even read THIS one? We shall see.

Don't be nervous. I won't bombard you with a super long post about all the days of my life from the last two years. There have been a multitude of adventures, joys, travels, lessons, laughs and tears. I'm thankful for all of them. I'm thankful today for where I am, and even though there are always lists being made of how I can do things differently/better/more creatively, I'm thankful.

Perhaps short posts to catch you up would be a nice place to start. I'm itching to write these days. So what does a girl do? Start over? Test the waters?

Have you ever abandoned a blog and been unsure of how it would treat you when you returned?
That's where I am today... Readers, are you here? :)

~nicole

A Broken Down House...

Would you live here?

Did you know that you already do?

"Last week your boss gave you your walking papers, or your teenager rebelled to your face, or you were diagnosed with a disease, or a tree fell on your garage, or your best friend gossiped about something you said in confidence, or your aging body ached, or your church disappointed you again, or you pulled your back out, or your vacation proved to be more work than retreat, or you found out that your exorbitant city taxes are being misused by a politically hungry elected thief, or you learned that someone stole your identity, or you felt drawn to something you knew was wrong.

Last week you encountered the world as it really is: broken.

How did you do?"

Broken Down House, pg. 31

Currently Reading:

Through Tears...

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

~Psalm 116:15

I believe that God is author of life and of death. I believe he ordains all things and that His will is ultimate. I believe that it is great gain for a believer to die. For families and loved ones left here, death doesn't always taste so sweet. Especially at first.

Just over a week ago, I learned that a gentleman that my family knows, my cousins' grandfather on their mother's side, passed away after some time of medical complications and deteriorating health. While I cannot count for you the number of years it had been since I had seen him or spent time with them, my heart was saddened by the loss. Perhaps because it made me one step closer, in my mind, to losing my own grandfather. Maybe it was simply the idea of weeping alongside my dad's family who I have not spent much time with over the last few years.

The service was small and very beautiful. The wind was blowing and the sky changed from blue to grey. Friends spoke of the way the life of the gentleman and how he cared for his family. My aunt, his daughter, shared about her father's example as a husband to her mother, and as a spiritual leader in their home by his faithfulness to pray. Men cried and shared about how he trained them in the fields to work and to be diligent. His family wept together and watched as his body was lowered into the earth. The county's Honor Guard stood by ready for their salute and when Taps was played, I'm not sure I could have held back my tears any longer.

I am grateful for my family. I'm so thankful to them for letting me share that day with them.

Thank you for opening your home to me on a day like that. Thank you for sharing your gift of hospitality and your hearts... and your hugs. I enjoyed our conversations and the laughter... and the tears.

I am grateful to God for the ways that death made me think about life.

I Promise I'm Still Here...

Blogging can be daunting. Some people are really great at it. Others are hard to follow because they rarely update... like me. Oops. ;)

Just a few updates, perhaps?

I have a new work schedule. Starting in November, I was approved for a flex schedule. Now, I have Mondays off and I work 10 hour days Tuesday-Friday. So far, so good. My goal is to make a plan, a list of sorts, for each Monday of things to accomplish. I've been able to do that a little bit, but already see where I need improvements after only one month at the new schedule. Ideas?

Thanksgiving...
I didn't go home this year. That's the first major holiday I've not been with my family. Since my parents weren't going to be home for Thanksgiving again this year, (they are long-distance team truck drivers and didn't take off for Thanksgiving) I had decided to stay back in Raleigh and then a family at church asked if I would help with their house and dog while they were gone, so I did that. My roommate's friend, Megan, invited us both to eat Thanksgiving lunch with her and her parents, so I did get to have a really yummy, and beautifully decorated, dinner.
I did miss my family and felt okay about being in Raleigh... but the funniest of things trigger emotion, you know? Thursday night, back at the home I was watching, I was thinking about heating up my leftovers from Megan's and how I wished I had brought some of the dessert home with me, too... which made me think about my Granny's baking... and I just lost it! Isn't that the most pitiful think you've ever heard?! LOL... I cried for about 20 minutes thinking about pie and missing sitting around late on Thanksgiving with my aunts and uncles eating leftovers and pie. I guess I'll have to eat extra at Christmas? ;)
On Saturday, I got to go to Kristin's 4th Annual Happy Thanksgiving Saturday. I love that event! She gathers her family together and invites a few friends to enjoy an extended Thanksgiving dinner. The food is always so good, and I get to see all of her family! Love both of those things. :)

New Moon...
Pretty much every person in my life knows how much of a Twilighter I am. For a year now, it's been a big part of my "hobby" life. Through Twitter, I have met TONS of other Twilight ladies around the world, and several of them, I've become pretty close friends with. So, some of us decided we'd like to get together when the second movie came out in November. We planned it and talked about it for months! I couldn't believe when it got down to the wire that it was actually going to happen! Since two of us live here in Raleigh and another fairly close by in Charlotte, we decided it would work out well to have the other 4 girls come here. That way, hotel costs would be eliminated and we'd have two locals to plan things, not having to worry with a new city. Thursday morning arrived, and so did the drama! Planes were delayed, FTA computers were crashing... what a mess! No worries... every one got here just in time and we all spent the weekend at Erin's house. We went to the midnight showing of New Moon, then again on Friday and Saturday afternoons. We ate out together, had pedicures, sat around and laughed like crazy... we even got to take Sarah to the Super Target like she asked. ;) I'm grateful for the friendships and so happy we were able to all get together... Discussion have already begun for the June opening of Eclipse, the third film in the saga. I plan on visiting another friend out in California in the summer, so who knows where we'll all end up!

Holidays...
Christmas is coming and I can already see the hours and days flying by! My roommates and I were finally able to decorate last night. We went all out... it was a frenzy of lights, ornaments, candles... the works! We laughed a lot and even decided to try our fate at a few outdoor lights. Here are few shots I took with my phone. I apologize for the quality... but you get the point. ;o)

I'll be going home for Christmas on the 23rd sometime and because I have off on Mondays, I'll get to stay until the 28th. Alicia, Kristin and I had planned to try and go to Texas over New Year's to see Dan and Casey, Zoe and Jack, but tickets for air travel at that time are RIDICULOUS! Wow... almost 400 dollars!! Twice the normal rate. So, we're having to wait and have tossed around the idea of having a New Year's party like we have had in the past. We'll see what shakes down on Seawell Ave...

So... just a few updates. If you've made it this far, I'll send you a Christmas card... just comment and let me know you did. ha! ;)

Words.

I am currently in a home-study at my church. Those of us who teach a class during the Sunday School hour are encouraged to take most of these classes as they are offered so that our souls are being encouraged to pursue Christ in a class-form discipline... since we don't attend the adult Bible time. This is apart from our regular participation in the regular worship service and our small groups, of course. The work is takes time, but the reading is deep and the questions are thought-provoking and prick my heart.

The current class is a book study on Relationships: A Mess Worth Making by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp. I'm in the middle of answering a question about the power of words in relationships... and was overwhelmed by this section in the chapter:

The world of talk is a world of trouble

Nobody articulates this more powerfully than James: "If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check" (James 3:2b). Who can honestly say that all his words are well-intentioned and appropriately spoken? Who has not hurt someone with words or used words for a selfish purpose? Who hasn't used words as a weapon of anger rather than an instrument of peace? Don't let yourself back away from the troubles. If you are honest, you have to admit that your relationships have been troubled by words as much as they have been helped. James calls us to admit that our words are the most powerful and consistent indicators of our need for the grace of Christ. James say that if we were without fault in this area, we would be perfect in every way. So listen to your words. Don't they expose how deep your need is for God's forgiving grace? We stain our relationships with thoughtless and evil words. We are guilty of turning this gift into a weapon. We need forgiveness and we need help.

Wow. I am guilty. I know that you are, too, because none is perfect. None is righteous apart from Christ. I have seen some very, very strong relationships broken by one wayward word. One quick quip. One unthoughtful blurb. Words cut like a knife.

I want to be better. I want to wield this weapon of my tongue in an expert way that heals instead of hurts others.

Not much... just a short post... but something that was really heavy on my heart to share with you all.

California Love

Through the years, I've come to really enjoy the work of some great photographers. Two of my very best friends, Casey and Kristin work for Poiema Photography, based here in Raleigh. They are so good at what they do. Angey's on the team, too.

Because of them, I've learned about several others around the country - ones they love and follow and learn from.

Through Twitter, this year... and our mutual love for some various things (wink), I met this lady...

And if you're in Northern California, you need to book her. Pronto. Because she's moving to Ohio in just over a year (to be closer to meeee. ok. not really, but still). Check it out.

(click to reach her blog)

Follow her on Twitter.

Friend her on Facebook.

Be amazed...

Polyvore.

I have only just discovered this from a super rad friend.

But now I love it. Here's my "first" attempt... (first one that YOU'LL ever see, that is!)

Lucky by livingmercy featuring Charles David shoes

A Tagged Post To Bring You Back To Me...

I haven't posted in a few weeks... Sorry!  And Sarah and Erin both tagged me in this quite some time ago... sorry, ladies!

Here goes!

8 Things I am looking forward to:

1. My Birthday!
2. My Birthday Cruise!
3. Visiting Friends in Memphis!
4. New Moon, The Movie!  EEEEP.  See Number 3.
5. To Finally Get A Chance To Read City Of Bones.
6. Paying Off All My Debt.
7. Reaching My Goal Weight.
8. Visiting Friends Overseas Again.

8 Things I did yesterday:

1. Went to Church
2. Went to a Graduation Cookout for DAWN!
3. Grocery Shopped... for only 2 things! YAY!
4. Played On My New Mac!
5. Grilled Out With Friends Next Door
6. Hung Out With My Aunt.
7. Watched The MTV Movie Awards and Life Chatted with Taylor Blue and Willow Raine - SO FUN!
8. Finally Got To See The New Moon Trailer!!!  EEEEE.

8 Things I wish I could do:

1. See New Moon Already.
2. Meet Famous People.
3. Have Better Disciplines.
4. Sleep More.
5. Spent More Time With My Friends.
6. Pay Off Debt.
7. Buy A House 
8. Master My Guitar.

8 Shows I watch:

1. Lost
2. Heroes
3. Survivor
4. The Office
5. Parks and Recreation
6. Grey's Anatomy
7. Private Practice
8. Friends


Now who do I tag: 

Hmm.  I won't be offended if you don't do this... but let me know if you do!  ;)

1.  Jessica

2.  Betsy

3.  Mara

4.  Chevy

5.  Meghann

6.  Alicia

7.  Nicole

8.  Myria

If I tagged you and you decide to follow along be sure to leave me a comment!