Sweet Southern Pearl

Friday night :  Dinner with my family at my favorite seafood restaurant. This is especially exciting because since Libby Hill closed and I don't work at a seafood restaurant anymore, I don't get it as often, and when I do, it's a BIG DEAL. :) Also, saw Cinderella and oh my word it was wonderful. Extra money for the IMAX experience was totally worth it!  Saturday :  Spent quality time with Emery. Gym and shopping with my sister. We realized Panda Express is also gone from Oak Hollow Mall before we shopped at two of the last stores standing. We almost cried. ACC Championship game with my dad (detailed in a previous post). More quality time with Emmadore. <3 Sunday : Church / BBQ lunch at church. Shopped at a different mall with my sister. Took Emery on the greenway - it was a GORGEOUS day!! Church afterglow at the rec center. Spent some time with Granny. <3 WEEKENDS ARE THE BEST! ...

Last weekend (3/6-3/8) we were supposed to go to Nashville, Tennessee. However, the weather in TN was terrible, so we ended up just staying in Boone and the time we had proves that it's okay if plans fall through. I got to do fun things and spend quality time with friends and my brother, doing things like brunches and a craft session, a Bible study, shopping, and spending time just enjoying my favorite tiny town. HASHTAG BLESSED.  eBa

On Saturday, I was lucky enough to be able to go to the ACC Championship for the first time ever. I had gone to the evening tournament games on Thursday with a friend thanks to tickets from Craigslist. It was so much fun! When it came to be that the final championship game would be Carolina and Notre Dame, I realized I had to get tickets for my dad, because I had learned on Thursday that although he has been to countless college basketball games, he had never been to an ACC tournament game. On top of that, he has always been a huge UNC fan and we both hate Notre Dame (pronounced Noh-truh Dom). Tickets had skyrocketed on Craigslist once Notre Dame won against Duke on Friday, and I immediately regretted not getting tickets earlier. I'm not good at navigating Craigslist, but thankfully, my friend Yadavan is. He somehow found some really cheap tickets for me and my dad and before I knew it, we were at the championship game!  The game didn't have the outcome that we...

There's a certain magical feeling when it's been a long, cold winter and the weather finally warms up - like the first couple days where the weather is really nice and sunny and warm. That magical feeling is even more magical on a weekend, when you're free to do fun things outdoors and see friends and family. This past Sunday was a perfect example of that kind of day. I got up and went to church in a new spring dress I got at Boone Belles on Friday. Church was great, and then my family went to lunch at this place called China Capital. MMM. Coincidentally, we ran into Brooke and her family. It was such a nice surprise! I captured the moment with a selfie of me, Brooke, and Lovelyn :). I can't believe she will be a year old next week! After lunch, Ashley and I ran errands. I finally got to go to the library after meaning to go for WEEKS. I wanted to get books for my ninth graders to read during "drop everything and read." I had almost forgotten how ...

I recently fell in love with a Jesus Culture song called You Won't Relent. The hauntingly beautiful sound of Kim Walker Smith's voice, paired with the reverent music and lyrics...  I just cannot. It's amazing. "I set You as a seal upon my heart, as a seal upon my arm. For there is love that is as strong as death, jealousy demanding as the grave. And many waters cannot quench this love. You won't relent until you have it all; My heart is yours. Come be the fire inside of me, come be the flame upon my heart. Come be the fire inside of me, until You and I are one." I walked a fine line at the last Bible study I went to in Boone, talking about how sometimes God allows us to lose the things we think we care about the most, in order to show us that really we only need Him. I think He wants us to depend on Him and Him alone. His love is as strong as death, and His jealousy demands ALL of us. Every fiber in our being. So I believe (and so...

Today's thankfulness My ninth graders enjoyed the books I picked out for them to read during DEAR time. I had soda for the first time in I don't know how long - Cherry Coke. IT WAS SO GOOD. (Things are appreciated more when done in moderation, case in point!) The weather has been fantastic. I had a good Bible study. I didn't get my usual Monday headache, despite the lack of sleep from the time change. Mondays aren't always bad!! My latest Facebook status: "Yesterday I spent a while at the library, carefully selecting books for my ninth graders to read during "drop everything and read" time. I do this because more than anything, I want them to view reading as something fun. So when 4th period finally rolled around and I let them pick out books to read, I can't explain how it melted my heart to hear them say things like, "Oh this book looks cool!" and see them as they flipped through the pages and learned new things. Al...

It's March! Typically on Tuesdays, I end up being thankful for a lot of things for some reason. At the very least, I'm glad to have made it through Monday, and by Tuesday afternoon, the week is well on its way. Today was really good and chill, though. Today I was thankful for: - Old school Nelly on Sirius on my way to work this morning. - Reading some good stuff in God's word today. - Having a really good and productive day with my students. Laughing and joking with them while getting some good stuff done at the same time. - Being able to pick my little cousin Ellie up from preschool and take her to her favorite place - Chick-Fil-A and watch her play in the play place without a care in the world and then go to Hobby Lobby and get stuff to do St. Patrick's Day crafts and THEN to Granny's house to do the crafts! - The amazing St. Patty's baby headband I bought at Hobby Lobby and put on Emery. Ellie and her Chick-Fil-A. SO PRECIOUS. F...