The Wedding Weekend

I'm home for my cousin's wedding! She's the one who's my age. Weird!

Congrats to the future Mr. and Mrs. Hildebrand!

There they are, so cute!

I have the bridesmaid luncheon today, then a spa day, the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, then we will hang out with Eleanor all day tomorrow, wedding, then the reception! It will be busy but so fun!

Geoffrey is coming for the rehearsal dinner tonight through the weekend.

Hope to update again soon!

Happy Summer!

Happy 3rd day of summer!

I don't even know where to start. This summer has been crazy! Crazy busy, but crazy good!

We had VBS two weeks ago which I did every day. I had sweet 6th grade girls and we had so much fun. I got to know a lot of the girls who I will be working with from now for about a year hopefully. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be a volunteer leader with 6th grade girls after the summer is over. VBS was a wonderful way to start getting to know them.

It was a miracle though. I remembered 90% of their names. And I really mean a miracle. I sometimes always forget every single person's name who I meet. I've talked about it before on here. It's a huge problem. Example: I met 2 guys at Geo's church this weekend and called them KelleN and Caden. Their names were KelleR and Paden all morning long until Geo told me after church was over. But actually, the bad part was, I was proud of myself for even remembering that much of their names. I really think God is working in me to help me remember names. Like really.

So then the week after VBS was City Surge for high schoolers and middle schoolers. It's like a mission trip but they stayed in Knoxville. I had 5 10th grade girls staying with me, so that was so much fun! I started Sunday night and wasn't alone again until Thursday morning. I was like a camp counselor but at my own house with dishes to do.

During the days, I took a group to work on some elderly people's yards. The first night I woke up with swimmer's ear, so I had to go to the clinic and miss the first day of work. But I got to go the following days and trim bushes, plant flowers, pull weeds, and roll around in poison ivy. After work, we had a 2 hour shower break, then back to serve and eat dinner, have some talks, small groups, entertainment, and then back home at 11 so that we could hang out sleep sitting up until about 2 or 3. Then up at 7 the next morning.

It wore me out.

So Thursday when that was finished, I bought a Rockstar energy drink and  headed to Nashville to see Geoffrey and his family. It was a blast as we hung out with his family, took a trip to the zoo, went out to dinner, got some really good ice cream, visited my cousins, saw Nat and Sarah, and just had a really good time together.

I have to go to our middle school thing now, so I will finish this update in the near future I'm hoping.

A Different Way of Life

I must tell you that living alone in a house is so much different than any kind of living situation I've ever had in my life.

For example, tonight I made a special, scheduled trip to the drive thru car wash. Why? Because now that I have so much time and no one to interact with, I find little things like that to do and make them into a big deal. I used to do things like washing my car when I was in a hurry and happened to be driving by it. But that is no longer needed. I have plenty of time in the evening for such things.

Last night I made an entire pizza. For myself. I went and got lots of yummy stuff to put on it and made it so that it would take more time than getting something quickly. I did pesto on the bottom, then garlic, feta, and artichokes, tomatoes, olives, mozarella, and spinach. So I had this elaborate pizza for myself and  no one to even see it, so I have found that I use my camera phone quite a bit.

Tonight I scheduled time to sit down and pick out a recipe to open the page to on my counter so that I can look at it all week.

And lastly, I planted some seeds of cilantro, basil, and parsley for fun. I thought it would be a good activity to do every night, you know, at least something to do.




I've been working on decorating still because I can't get everything done alone. I can't get the table up from my basement alone, and a few other things. You don't realize how helpful other people are until you don't have them around.

But for now, this is my bedroom. I painted that bookshelf the other day with paint that I found in my house already and the color was perfect!

This is my backyard. Those are bamboos you see there! It's crazy.

I had more pictures, but I didn't want to use the battery on my phone for sending them because I forgot my charger at home. This is the last problem. I hesitate to talk on the phone for long amount of time or short amounts of time, at that. Because I don't want my battery to die in the middle of the night and have no way of communication. Don't worry though, I figured out how to do my alarm clock alarm so I don't have to worry about not waking up for work. The problem that still exists though is that the interaction with human beings during my evening hours, is now even less without much phone time. No time for chit chat anymore.

Oh, and did I tell you that I have no cable and a very weak signal of internet from the neighbors which greatly hinders my blogging, facebooking, and emailing? I feel like I'm living in the 1800s at times. That's not a bad thing, just very different.

Well, I'm off to figure out what to do next. Maybe a shower. My showering and getting ready time has gotten very lengthy this summer as opposed to the normal quick summer routine. It's funny how when I have more time, things take longer. That's okay though, it's good actually. I can use as much time as I need.  I even think that I'll be going to sleep at about 9:30 tonight, earliest bedtime since I was sick.

The Yellow House

I got my first afternoon free today in a while, and it has been so great.

I have been so busy working and hanging out. I was at a retreat with the other interns last week during the week, then went right to El's bachelorette party all weekend but left early to be at middle school Sunday school on Sunday. My mom came in town that afternoon to move me into my house and left that night and Nat came and moved her stuff in. So I've slowing begun getting everything organized each day after work, and today was the first day that I've had time to just come home.

Yesterday I had an hour between work and dinner with the other interns, and I hung a picture, a cross, the curtain rod in my bedroom, and a bulletin board. I've just learned to get things done fast! I even did it without a power drill. I've got the nail-first-and-then-screw system down now that my drill doesn't work.

Anyways, so now that my house isn't a disaster, I have given myself a break for a few hours before I begin again, and it's been awesome. I've been sitting on my porch right here....

(Sorry, these pictures was taken via my computer camera because I was giving myself a break and didn't want to go dig through my stuff to find the camera cord.)

I think that this swing is my new favorite place to be. I have spent all my sit down time here when I've had the chance.

This is my new house....

It's called "The Yellow House"

(not very original, I know)

It's really cute and I'm working on the inside and I'll show some pictures later. I really want to put some flowers in the yard but I don't really want to buy all the gardening tools, so I may just stick with hanging baskets for now. Anyways, that's it. I think I'm going to go finish my Revol verses so that I can get a head start for next week. 

The Internship!

I have been MIA! I'm sorry! I got busy with the beginning of my internship!

It has been really great so far, other than leaving home to be back in Knoxville for the summer.

Today was one of my favorite days so far.

Well first I better tell you what we've done so far. The program that I'm involved in is the Leadership Training Program. We do a pretty intense bible study called Revol and I work with middle school students. The internship is to help us learn how to minister to the community better in our every day life.

On Mondays, a person from the community comes and tells us about their job and how they live out their faith in their jobs. They talk about the topic that we have for the week, and the first one that we had was really interesting.

Tuesdays is mostly a ministry day. I am working with middle school students this summer so that will be a main day that I spend time with them. Tuesdays we also have practical learning, which is so fun and really just a bonding time between us 7 interns. Yesterday we learned how to play the drums (so practical).

On our list we also have learn to:

• change tires, change the oil, and drive stick shift
• smock (like the little girl dresses)
• wakeboard and salsa dance
• woodwork (make a desk or something like that)
• make a Thanksgiving dinner from scratch
• and some other ones that I can't remember off the top of my head

Wednesdays we have a paper due on the topic that we are studying that week. This week was Unity. Then we go and do community service. Today was incredible! I'll get back to that later.

Thursdays we have class for 2 hours. We have a discussion about the topic for the week. Then we have office hours and are done. 

That is just the scheduled stuff, and we hang out with students at the other times, building relationships. 

So, back to today! We went on a tour of Knoxville ministries. We started out pulling into the Dollar General parking lot. Mrs. Kathy told us about how many poor people have to decide if they want to get something they need, like socks, or if they want to eat. She told us that we could spend our lunch money on something for the poor people or we could get lunch later. But we couldn't do both; we had to choose as they chose. I (embarassing, but reluctantly) bought the poor people some things along with all of the other interns. I knew it was the right thing to do but my stomach was growling at 11 and we wouldn't be done till 5. I wish I could have done that happily. 

Anyways, we took the things that we bought to a place called Water Angels where a lot of homeless people hang out and go to church and have bible studies each day. I got to sit next to a man who was from Florida and didn't seem to really be with it, but he surprised me by carrying on a conversation after a few minutes. I really liked him! We served them Chik-fil-A (still not happy that I wasn't getting any and my stomach was growling), but Mrs. Kathy surprised us and told us to get some Chik-fil-A! It was some of the best lunch I've ever had after thinking I was going to starve to death from 6 hours of hunger. So we ate and then heard a few of the homeless men and women's testimonies which were AWESOME. That was probably my favorite part of the day, seeing these people completely changed by the gospel who rely on the Father for their EVERY need.

Apparently Knoxville is the place to go if you're homeless because we have so many places for them to eat and go and live. A few people said that, and the people I met were all from other cities but came here for the shelters. I think that's really cool that we have so many awesome organizations.  

I really hope I'll get the chance to go back to these places even after the summer is over. I know I'll be back this summer because it's part of my internship, so I'm really looking forward to that! 

I love do-nothing-summer-days.

They are my favorite. I've done some things in the past few days but the things don't really count as actually doing something. They include shopping, eating, walking, talking, and things of the sort.

Last night we ate dinner at Red Lobster with Granddaddy and his "lady-friend," Wanda (aka Mamaw).  Well, they were so cute together and he was so alert, it was so fun! I asked him what he was going to ask for for his birthday Sunday, but he replied with, "Well, [long pause] I don't know. What would a man my age ask for? A car? " (He doesn't drive).

Granddaddy is awesome all around. We all love spending time with him, and he has lots of good things to say. He makes us laugh lots, and I'm going to tell you what I've been laughing about today.

Granddaddy's birthday is this coming Sunday. And today is Friday, which is his daughter, Ang's birthday and his granddaughter, LA's birthday. (Our family has so many birthdays right now). Anyways, Ang and LA went to visit Granddaddy this morning, and Anne (the woman who takes care of G-dad) put two cards on his lap and told him, "These are for Ang and LA for their birthdays today."

He didn't look at the cards for a long time and just talked, but a few minutes later, he looked down and said, "Oh, look-a-there! I got some birthday cards." He opened one card and looked at it excitedly, and then LA (who is 3 today) asked him to open the other one. He let her open it, and a check came out. Mind you, both of these cards are actually from him and to Ang and LA. He was excited about the check.

Then Mamaw called him, and he told her that they were celebrating his birthday, and she said, "Doug, you're birthday isn't for two more days."

He told her, "Well, we're just celebrating it a little bit early."

He got off the phone and Ang was trying not to bust out laughing because she didn't want to ruin his exciting "birthday."

He went back to the envelope said, "Woah, look at that check!!! $2,000! Oh my! Who is that from?"

Ang said, "Oh no, Daddy, it's just $200."

He was still excited about the $200, and then he looked at the front of the envelope which said "Ang" and he said, "Oh, it's from Ang! Well thanks Ang!"

...like Ang would give him a check for his birthday... He wouldn't know what to do with it because he doesn't have a clue as to what he would want for his birthday. We always get him real presents.

And so, that was Ang's birthday present this morning, a big laugh from G-dad. I hope she ended up taking the card and check with her. He probably won't remember it, plus we're having a big 78th birthday party for him Sunday. That'll make up for his lost card.

Catchin' Up!

It's Summertime!

I have a short time at home and it makes me sad. I came home late Tuesday night because packing took me FOREVER. I had envisioned waking up at 9, packing by the early afternoon. After all, I'd already taken home all of my winter clothes and all I had to do was pack up my room and put it in Geo's apartment or into a corner of our apartment to store for a week.

Not so much.

I did wake up at 9 and started packing things up. That part worked out. But... I ended up with the laundry room full of kitchen stuff, cleaning stuff, and laundry supplies, and an entire corner of my living room filled with bedroom stuff, Geo's closet half full with my clothes, and his bookshelf filled with my books, and  I  Geoffrey ended up with 7 bags of trash to take to the dumpster.

I packed all day straight, besides a trip to copy keys and grab a few things that I needed. I got popcorn for lunch, and I ate a frozen thing at 3 that I was about to clean out of our freezer, and then Geo brought me pizza for dinner. Finally at 9:09 pm, I pulled out of QT for the last time. Well, for the last time living there. I'll be back to get my stuff.

I should probably introduce Geo since I mentioned him so many times. We hang out sometimes all the time at school because he's my next door neighbor and he's pretty awesome. We've been hanging out all semester actually. He's really fun. We do some fun things together, like go to the awesome Knoxville Nature Center, Ijams, on hikes, and to dinner at the Mexican place that I still can't remember the name, and to Pigeon Forge to the outlets to find him clothes for events that I don't even get to go to, and he came with me to my formal on a boat. He convinced me to eat Hardee's on Easter because it was the only place open, and it wasn't as bad as I'd expected.

We will no longer be next door neighbors, but I have a feeling we will still see each other. He will be in Nashville this summer working at his church's high school youth group, and I'll be in Knoxville working with the middle school youth group. I'll probably see him every now and then. I'm planning on making a  trip or two to Nashville and maybe he'll visit me a few times.

This is the new house that I'm moving into....

well, maybe not. I can't find a picture of it. But, as soon as I move in, I'll take you a picture!

I guess that's it for today. I'm off to eat my hummus, feta, turkey and spinach sandwich, then shopping with the madre and dinner with Granddaddy and Wanda. They are so cute.