keep praying

What a day! Our storms started about 9am and the rest of the day was a bust. The University sent everyone home by 1pm, and I spent the rest of the afternoon (in the dark) cuddled up with Harley reading this book (it was great!) and eating Sour Patch Watermelons.

hanging out with Harley in the bathroom while the worst part was blowing through- I was so thankful to have my little buddy!

The (vacant) house next door... this happens every time it rains, so this really isn't storm specific. This is only after the first round of storms. It nearly cleared the retaining wall (~2 feet) by the end of the day.

Harley and I sat in the car to charge my phone and listen to the radio on and off all night. I hate being out of touch and unaware, so I was texting and checking facebook on my phone constantly.

We are totally fine. The storms that hit the Chattanooga area (even Ringgold) are nothing compared to the devastation in Alabama. As far as I know, all of our friends and family are safe, and we are so thankful. Unfortunately, lots and lots of people and their families are not as lucky. Please keep praying for the people affected by these horrible storms.

Easter Sunday

Sunday morning started with a grueling (for me, simple for D) 10 mile run. I'm having shoe issues, but knowing that our race is this weekend and that I'm going to be cutting back on running (distance wise) afterwards, I can't justify new shoes... Regardless, it was a sweet time of worship as I listened to my Hillsong United Pandora station and thought about Easter morning two thousand years ago. Wow! We sang this song at church, and I've been playing it on repeat this week:

When I made it back to the car, David was waiting for me with a surprise. I was (and always am) craving a smoothie SO badly, and David had already gone to McDonalds and gotten them for us (yes, he is that much faster than me)! Added bonus: they were free because he had to wait too long!

After running, we made it home to shower, fix some food and head out to the lake. The Bryants included us in their family Easter celebration, and we really had a great day. I still can't believe how thoughtful they are to have adopted us into their family! We are so blessed.

We spent the afternoon eating, playing a few intense (and at times, heated) volleyball games and lounging by the water. It was a perfect day to celebrate

MA found an egg that had a cricket inside! ha!

Easter Saturday

We celebrated Easter* with church Saturday night, but our day was full of productivity. David tackled a few big yard and outside house projects, and I helped some too :). 

Finished product! Tada!

I know it may not look like much, but we/David mowed the lawn, moved our two scraggly rose bushes to the back yard, replanted the three bushes on the right of the porch to be evenly spaced, planted three more bushes on the left to make the porch symmetrical, added 5 shrubs under the garage windows (so eventually we will have a hedge there), spread new mulch (27 bags!), hung new ferns and planted "window box" flowers (those 2 were my jobs) and pressure washed the gutters (and the entire back porch- me again). I'm seriously excited that this area is right on target with my vision for it since we moved in. I'm definitely impaired when it comes to yard/garden/landscaping stuff, but David did a fabulous job!

I was productive on the craft/home front. My favorite project were these cute zippered pouches. I used a combo of this tutorial and this tutorial to make them waterproof for cloth diapers as a baby gift. I was excited to learn how to sew zippers- this was my first time! Oh, and they cost next to nothing to make (shhh). I got a slew of zippers at a yard sale last year, I used fabric from my stash, and I used a dollar store shower curtain liner ($4). I have enough shower curtain for about a zillion more bags, so there are likely many more of these in my near future!

*We celebrate Easter every day as we worship our risen Lord. At least, we strive to.

lessons

A few weeks ago David took me on a luxury date to the Hixson Driving Range. Fortunately, that place is bobo because unfortunately, I am horrible at swinging a golf club. Granted, this was my first attempt, but it very well may be my last. It was painful. for both of us. Did I mention it was hotter than blue blazes? David bought a small bucket of balls and towards the end I was possibly kicking or throwing them away from the tees so we could be finished sooner.

We did laugh a lot and I love a fun day with my man. He puts up with a lot from me :).

Easter goodies

I followed this simple recipe for our small group dessert this week, and man were they yummy!

I promise they are brown not black... we obviously still don't know how to properly use our camera.

There were a few left over, and Kate liked them too!

slumber party with Kate

Because I was off work for Good Friday, Kate spent the night with us on Thursday! She was SO excited, which warmed the cockles of my heart. We read books, played games (perhaps jumped on the bed and ate jellybeans) and had a blast with the little munchkin. 

Friday morning Sarah came over and we dyed Easter eggs! It was so fun. We talked to Kate about what Easter really is about and she was so cute when she asked "was Jesus sad because he died?" It's so sweet to see her heart already sensitive to the Lord. I pray that only increases as she grows. 

Elmy/Emmy/El-em-y and Daybed adore this little girl!

PS- I must say... I was worn out when she left! Bec, you're a rockstar!

my mom's the best!

I know when I see a package like this...

It's bound to be full of creative goodies...

like these!

My sweet mom is so creative AND so thoughtful, which is a great combination if you ask me :)

legacy

I just got back from a funeral that was surprisingly emotional for me. I met Mr. Bob Venable several times at camp, we have had a special bond with the Dan Venable family (David is especially close to Carter), Marianne and Maggie were both my campers, Hannah is awesome, etc. But, those relationships aren't what struck a chord with me today. Mr. Venable has left an incredible legacy in this town. He was practically the patriarch of Camp Vesper Point, and he certainly gave his lifeblood to that ministry. His love for the ministry of CVP was mentioned repeatedly, and it just stirred my soul. Obviously, CVP has had a profound impact on my life and the packed room was evidence of all the lives that have been touched by this sweet man and the ministry he so fervently treasured. Two wonderful men shared beautiful (and one other not so beautiful) testimonies of their personal relationships with Mr. Venable, and you couldn't help but tear up from the touching stories of compassion and thoughtfulness he consistently displayed. I can only pray that someday, somehow, by God's great grace, I can affect lives like he has.

*And, wouldn't you know, we sang It Is Well with My Soul?
**I saw a couple of my pastors dressed up. Probably the only time that will ever happen!

we're not known just for the Choo Choo

This fun song just came across my Pandora... pretty much made my day!

PS- Did you hear that Chattanooga has been selected as one of the top 7 intelligent communities of 2011? We are still in the running to be #1!

I can't keep it in any longer...

My sister-in-law, Beth

IS PREGNANT!!!

with TWINS!

David and I are over-the-moon excited about these sweet additions to our family!!!! Brianna is going to be the BEST big sister there has ever been. Beth is due Ocotber 26, and we're all dying to know their genders! It is such a blessing to see the Johnsons go through this exciting time. I only wish we lived closer...

Go to Beth's blog to see a sweet video of them telling Brianna.

An interesting side note... David and I have prayed for more than a year now for twins. We just felt the Lord leading us (through our confusion) to pray. for twins. And now, we understand :). We have not, and will not, stop praying for these two babies.

what a weekend

I have been so anxious/excited/nervous about this past weekend, and now it's behind us!

I had my first wedding gig on Saturday, and it went very well! Jessica helped me acquire a few jobs "directing" (I'm trying to decide what is the best way to describe the job... wedding coordinating might be most accurate) weddings, and the first was Kristen and Bryan's wedding on Saturday. It was a LONG day (week/weekend) of preparations and celebrations, but they were married and it was beautiful. One of the highlights was that Becca (&Keith) shot the wedding, and it was SO fun to work together. We have one other tag team wedding this summer, and I would love to make a habit out of it :).

All I have to offer is this blurry cell phone pic, but Becca & Keith will have tons of fabulous ones to share!

When I got home late Saturday night, David had this waiting for me:

It was absolutely the last thing I needed after eating way too much pound cake + chocolate fountain, but man was it good (and sooo thoughtful). He is the BEST. Seriously. He knew how nervous I was about doing a good job, and he wanted to reward my hard work. So sweet.

The weekend was a little less chaotic than it was planned to be because I was supposed to run the Chickamauga Chase 15k Saturday morning, and it was delayed because of the bad weather Friday night. In hind sight, I am really thankful it didn't all work out because I would not have made it through the day. David did run it, and he did so well! I am so proud of him. He had a great time, and we are both really looking forward to our 1/2 marathon in less than 2 weeks (!).

Of course, after a crazy busy Friday/Saturday, we were scheduled to serve in the Children's Ministry Sunday morning at the early service. We actually had the best class of 4 year olds we've ever had, and that was such a blessing. I took a 2+ hour nap Sunday afternoon (instead of running 9.5m to make up for missing the race... oh well), worked around the house and enjoyed our traditional Sunday night dinner with the Rochas (4 weeks in a ROW) and Greg & Jodi came! I love winding down the weekend and gearing up for another week with our dear friends.

So, here we are at Monday again... unfortunately. This week will be comprised of:

running, running and more running (I have to get back in the groove!)

laughing with our fun small group (we've daringly started this video series... it's strange/hilarious/thought provoking)

counting down the days until Thursday afternoon - no work Friday!

slumber party with KATE Thursday night/play day Friday

Here goes nothing!

on my heart

this song:


this message (from Jesus Calling):
March 26
Waiting on Me means directing your attention to me in hopeful anticipation of what I will do. It entails trusting Me with every fiber of your being, instead of trying to figure things out yourself. Waiting on Me is the way I designed you to life: all day, every day. I created you to stay conscious of Me as you go about your daily duties.

I have promised many blessings to those who wait on Me: renewed strength, living above one's circumstances, resurgence of hope, awareness of My continual Presence. Waiting on Me enables you to glorify Me by living in deep dependence on Me, ready to do My will. It also helps you to enjoy Me; in My Presence is fullness of Joy.

Lamentaions 3:24-26
24"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."
25The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Isaiah 40:31
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

Psalm 16:11
11You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

a whole lot of crafting going on

Lots of babies on the way = lots of baby craft projects

favorite hymn(s*)

We sang one of my favorite hymns at church on Sunday. It Is Well with My Soul is at the top of my favs list not only because of the words, but because of the story behind it. Horatio Spafford wrote this song after experiencing MANY tragedies (the loss of his son, financial ruin from the Chicago fire, the death of his 4 daughters), and I picture him in that boat in the Atlantic every time I sing this song. It gives me such hope to know that my God is the same now as he was then (1873), and he will give me the same peace to face any struggles in my life. Granted, nothing I am currently (or have ever) dealing with even compares to Spafford's hardships, and if HE can experience such peace, how can I ever complain?

It Is Well With My Soul


When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.


*My other favorite hymn (that I want sung at my funeral) (it was also sung at Lex's) is Hymn of Promise.

sweet boys

Last night Max and KJ (and their parents, Becca&Keith, Leigh&Sam) came over for dinner. We loved being able to grill out, sit on the porch and visit with our sweet friends. And, who wouldn't love hanging out with these two cuties?!

KJ was fascinated by Max. He kept touching his head/ears/face, and cracking all of us up!

a great way to end my week

Just to be consistent with my pictures-of-food-taken-with-cell-phone-camera blog posts theme this week, I figured I should share this:

just a thoughtful gift from a vendor (who will have my business forever)

In other news...

There isn't really any other news. The Geyers in Chatt had a really lovely week including time spent with our new small group, running (w/ Becca! best friend+new hobby= awesome), lots of intentional conversation between me & D, a spontaneous dinner at Five Guys and productive weeks at work. And now, it's the freakin weekend baby and I'm about to have me some fun!

a great way to start my day

Dear Smoothie King,

If you send us coupons, we WILL use them. Thanks for the free Smoothie during breakfast hours!

Love,

Emily

crafting in the dark

We lost power for about an hour because of the storms the other night, but I didn't let it thwart my plans to make baby shower invitations! I have lots of fun parties coming to up celebrate my sweet friends and their coming babies, and I'm so excited!

weekend pictures

 Friday night, watching John play lacrosse (it was freezing outside!)

 Saturday afternoon, taking a walk with Harley, enjoying the weather and the newly blooming flowers.

post-Junior League cookbook release/Tour du Jour launch party. [Thanks for the dress, Ash!][I don't think my hair is cut that unevenly, but maybe I need to look closer...] Unfortunately we had to resort to the self portrait after self timer fails like...

 this.