a little life update

HEY FRIENDS!

Wow. I wrote those really honest posts and then disappeared for a bit. Sorry about that. I have been super busy with life stuff for the past week. So let me just fill you in on some of what's going on in this girl's life. 

-I started the She Reads Truth Hosea plan. Y'all. It has been SO GOOD. It is such a beautiful picture of grace and redemption. But also a picture of what happens when we turn our backs on our Father. It has been such a good reminder that, even when I am faithless, He remains faithful because He cannot deny Himself.

-I've been hearing some amazing sermons! As some of you know, who follow Mom's blog or are personal friends, we left our church. We've been attending CBC of Savannah. IT IS AMAZING. The worship, the sermons, the people...everything. I recommend going to the churches website and listening to the sermons that Bill has been preaching for the past few weeks. There are incredible. 

-I've been realizing how darn lucky I am to have my older brothers. Seriously, y'all. They blow my mind. Here's example a:

That boy. I love him. He knew what I needed to hear that night. Blew me away. Blog post about that conversation coming sometime soon. 

And now example b:

That boy. He's my boss. And my hero. And my best friend. And he called me yesterday while I was in Wal-Mart. We talked about work stuff. And then he asked me how many days I was going to be gone to Slovakia. I told him and asked why he wanted to know. He wanted to know because he's writing me a note for every day I'm gone!! I melted into a puddle on the floor in Wal-Mart. Sweetest thing ever. (He's the same guy that texted me on Valentine's Day). :) I love that dude. 

-addressing, stamping, stuffing and sealing lots of envelopes. Like, 300 envelopes. Yeah. It was work stuff. I enjoy it though!

-obsessing over this little guy. Seriously, I can't stand that much cuteness.

Anyway. That about wraps it up for now. Hope that y'all are having a lovely weekend.

Be back soon! 

the hobbit, birthdays, christmas and other things

Hi! I pinky promise that I haven't forgotten about this here blog of mine. In fact, it has been very much on my mind lately. I've been thinking about writing and why I write and what I want to write about and when to write and all those fine details lately. I've come to a couple of conclusions that I'll share with you some time soon.

on to the past two weeks in review:

Tuesday, December 11th: we performed our annual Christmas program. I wrote a song about Mary and my siblings performed everything from James Taylor's Jingle Bells to The Jackson 5's Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

That night we also celebrated mine and Michael's birthdays! Michael was born December 16th, and mine is the 15th. So we always celebrate together. It's special to me that our birthdays are close together.
I was given all my birthday presents that night. I. was. shocked. They gave me a 3 day trip to Savannah, GA with Mom!! We left on a Sunday (December 16th) after church, drove the hour to get there and stayed til Tuesday. Those three days involved: a photo shoot with a dear friend, Starbucks date with Becca, Barnes and Noble, Catholic church tour, more Starbucks, watching all of Gone With the Wind, lunch with Heather and baby Zeke, attending Catholic Mass, and then going to surprise Becca at the coffee shop she works at. It was so much fun. And I took minimum pictures. ;) sorry.

Friday, December 14th: Dad, Michael, Heather, Jamie and I went to see The Hobbit. Okay. Let's just say I was blown away. I'm a Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit fanatic. I have read the books several times, written a ballad based on the LOTR books, written music to one of J.R.R. Tolkien's poems...yeah, it runs deep. I was so nervous when the movie was starting, and, let's just be honest here, I cried. Yes I did. It was an amazing movie.

Saturday, December 15th: I turned 18. Enough said.

Sunday through Tuesday: (16th-18th) in Savannah

and then Saturday, December 22nd: saw the Hobbit again with three friends. It was so much fun. Then went Goodwill shopping with one of the friends. We had a blast. :) (Em, we definitely have to do it again!)

And then Christmas. And now here I am. Ready to get back to normal life. Ready to start writing again!

Have a great weekend, friends, and I'll see you soon!! :)

 

happy birthday

to Michael.

My big brother. My mentor. The one who watches me cry and makes me feel better. My boss. My hero.

Thanks, Michael, for being there for me for the past 18 years. Thanks for the long talks, the times you watched me cry, the emails, the job, and so many more things. I love you. :)

Happy 25th birthday! :)



Your,
Jen

Wedding Recap, Part 4: Pictures In The Park and the Reception

Daddy, Meagan, Michael, Becca, Courtney, Thomas, Lindsay, Josh, me and Jamie

everyone happy :)

I love this picture!

Thomas and Becca (love this one, too!)

going off on their own adventure! :)

All the pictures above are the amazing work of Carson, Lindsay's husband. He was continually snapping all weekend, and got some really amazing shots. You can check out some more of Carson's and Lindsay's pictures on their blog: Down by the Bays.

When the pictures with the bridal party were done, we headed to the reception, while Thomas and Becca stayed behind to take a few more pictures. 

Lindsay made this! :) Impressive, right?

When we got there, it looked somewhat like this:

lots of wonderful wedding guests!

I floated from table to table, seeing some people who I hadn't seen in a while, meeting people I had never met, and seeing some friends who had been at college or moved away! (It was really awesome, because I got to see one of my absolute best friends at the reception who had recently graduated and gone to the Citadel!)

We waited patiently for the bride and groom, and then they were finally there and announced amid great cheering. Literally, they got a standing ovation! =) 

Then it was time for their first dance. Classic is the only word to describe it. =) They danced to a Bob Dylan song (which I can no longer remember the title of!) and acted like little kids and were totally cute. =)

After the absolutely adorable first dance, everyone got started eating! I was starving, but waited to get in line (dumb move) and talked instead. When I finally did get in line, it was at the very end, and I was behind two of Thomas' roommates, so that was highly entertaining! =)

Michael and Josh (wonder what Thomas said to make them laugh?)

Becca and Thomas :)

Becca, Thomas, Michael, Josh and Jamie

Finally I got food and sat down and ate (as Lindsay put it about herself not me) like a barbarian. I was so hungry, much hungrier than I thought I was.The food was delicious. =) Or maybe it was just good because I was so hungry. =) 

those oranges were good!

I think this was the point where Daddy was accusing me of flirting with someone (hence the exasperation on my face! ;)

Becca cutting cake! :)

not exactly sure what that face means???

awwwww! :) (and she is so short!!)

the cake topper was made of sticks found in Becca's backyard!

Thomas and Becca talking to friends

some of Thomas' roommates/friends

The cake was extremely good, and I ate a piece. Or two. =) Actually only one. But I did eat some more the next day. 

Now, Fred (Thomas' roommate and friend) and I were talking and we decided that this reception was definitely going to turn into a dance party. Yep, we called it! People started dancing and really having a good time. Thomas and Becca didn't dance, but basically everyone else did. And let me tell ya, folks, it was awesome! I have no pictures of this, because I was dancing till my feet hurt. And then I danced some more!

Thomas and Becca both changed, and then it was time to say goodbye. I gave my big brother a huge hug, and told him I loved him and then hugged Becca for a long time. 

happiness

Mom and Becca...or...Mrs. Mole and Mrs. Mole :)

Then we all lined the doorway, birdseed in hand, ready to pelt and wish happiness to the newlyweds. =) Mom told me to forget any grudges, and I told Ricky, Thomas' roommate the same thing. But it didn't matter, because we all threw pretty hard anyway. =) Poor Thomas and Becca.

leaving for the honeymoon!!!

she was obviously happy amid the showers of birdseed

notice that Becca's pointing her fingers at Dad? it's a thing they have going on, they point fingers at each other and call each other troublemaker! :)

beautiful wedding guests: Ale' Grace, Lindsay, and Chloe

And then they were gone, and they lived happily ever after. =)

Thomas walking by a train on their honeymoon :)

Wedding Recap, Part 2: The Rehearsal Dinner

I was quiet on the ride to the church. I managed some smiles and a couple of laughs and tried to feel as excited and happy as Becca looked, but inside I was experiencing butterflies. They were sure to turn into alligators before too long.

We arrived and talked to my parents for awhile. Then I saw Josh in the hallway. That was nice. He asked me how I was and I said, "Great!" He saw right through me (he's just like a big brother) and said, "Really?" in a very skeptical tone. =) But, I was determined to just be "cool" and said, "yeah, I'm fine." (Liar that I am!)

I really love this picture of Becca

Michael and Zeke

my 7 younger siblings!

We rehearsed and rehearsed again. I was told to walk slower, 'enjoy the moment', they kept telling me. I just wanted to sit down with Thomas and talk and not worry about weddings. But I kept a nice smile on my face. =) Thankfully people were constantly laughing and cracking jokes, so it wasn't too hard.

Becca and Thomas =)

Becca and her dad

After all the rehearsing was done, we headed to the fellowship hall to eat. Papa made frog-more stew or low-country boil or whatever you want to call it and it smelled really good. I took Zeke from whoever had him at the moment and just held him. He made me feel better. 

Starting at the head of the table: Jamie, me and Zeke, Mom, Thomas, Becca, Meagan and Josh. Jessie was on the other side of Josh, but you can't really see her! =)

Everyone!

After everyone had eaten and eaten and eaten, we got down to business. There was a slideshow that Thomas had masterfully created and it was amazing. It showed pictures of Thomas growing up, to "I Am Still Running" by Jon Foreman; then pictures of Becca growing up, to "The Past and Pending" by The Shins. Then there were pictures of them together, to "Part One" by Band of Horses. The slideshow was perfect. I loved it. 

After that, Michael stood up and said that Josh, me, Meagan and himself were going to give speeches and that after we were done, if anyone wanted to say anything about Thomas or Becca, they were welcome to. So Josh stood up and gave his amazing speech.

Josh

Becca's face during Josh's speech

His speech was really good and so nice. He and Thomas have been best friends for quite a while, and it made me happy that Thomas has such a good friend. =) 

Then...Josh was done and it was my turn. I was feeling nervous and when I get nervous, I usually do one of three things: say "um" a lot, use my hands excessively while talking, or cry. That night, I did all three. 

See the hand in action??

I started out by telling a story about the first time Becca ever came to our house. It was funny and got everyone laughing, which was kind of my point, and then I figured I had to get serious. So I did. Big mistake. 

I thanked Thomas and Becca for the great example they had set over their relationship. They really showed us what a relationship looks like when it's all played out. I said that when I get into a relationship I want my guy to love me as much as Thomas loves Becca. And I said that I wanted to respect and worship my guy just like Becca does Thomas. I thanked her for being that girl for him. 

I love this picture so much! =)

Then...I said that I felt like I should say some stuff to Thomas. I said that Josh may have said that Thomas was his best friend but that was not true, because Thomas is my best friend. 

I thanked Thomas for just a few things. For memories that we share. For the times we went squirrel hunting, for all the music he's given me...just for being my best friend. I cried, but it was okay. I really hate crying in front of people, but for that moment, I was talking to Thomas and it didn't matter what other people were thinking. 

I finally finished and then this happened. Possibly my favorite picture from the whole weekend:

me and my best friend =)

After giving Becca a hug, I sat down. Josh said I did a good job, and in the middle of wiping away the tears, I think I said thanks. Oh well. Meagan was up next!

Sweet Meagan

She cried too, which made me feel somewhat better about myself. Her speech was really sweet, and she said some really amazing things about Becca, all of which were true. I loved her speech and it made me cry!

After Meagan finished, Michael stood up. Now, Michael had just gotten back from Alabama, literally seconds before the rehearsal started, and had to have had at least 6 Mountain Dews that day. Basically bouncing off the walls. =) 

He said his goal had been to make Becca laugh and Thomas cry, since everyone else had done the opposite, but since he was so sleepy, he changed his mind. Instead he made us laugh. =)

3 of Thomas' former roommates: Grant in the green, Fred in the bright plaid, and Ricky in the Bob Dylan shirt =)

Michael

His speech was really good. He talked to both Thomas and Becca, and gave them both really good advice. I can't remember exactly what he said...but it was meaningful. =) He is a really good speaker and I love hearing him talk. 

After his speech he played a song that Thomas wrote and recorded. I was so glad he did, and yet, it made me cry. But everything was making me cry...so that isn't surprising. Everyone applauded Thomas' song, and then Michael said that he was done and that if anyone else wanted to speak, they were welcome to.Papa stood up and talked, and then Grant, who is in a picture up above. They both said nice things, and it was good. 

After that Grant closed up in prayer, and things got picked up and the groom was taken away with his friends to go bowling and do whatever guys do on the night before a wedding. =) I know they prayed for him before they let him go to bed.

We dropped Becca and Meagan off at Becca's house, and then headed home. 

When we got home, everyone pretty much went straight to bed. I wasn't sleepy though. So I sat up and read some and wrote in my journal. I picked up my cell phone at one point and it said: 12:36, September 15th. I momentarily freaked out. IT WAS THE WEDDING DAY!!!!!

more tomorrow...

My Man Michael

 I've known Michael since he was 6 years old. (He turned 7 the day after I was born. :) We've been through some pretty rough times together and we've laughed a lot and we've listened to a good bit of rap and we've prayed together and Michael knows some of my secrets that no one else really knows. 

I remember when I was younger, like 12, maybe 13, and Michael called me one day on his way home from work and said, "Hey. I'm on my way home. Once I get home and get cleaned up, do you want to go on a date with me tonight?" Umm, well, heck yeah! That's a no brainer.

 Our "date" consisted of riding with the windows down, going to Wal-Mart, (where I pushed the buggy and he kept tickling me the whole time!) and eating at Chick-fil-a. Yep, that's my bro for you. It was awesome. He's awesome. He's spent an awful lot of money on me in my lifetime, because he used to drive me home from church and somehow I was always hungry. He could never say no. I always ended up with a drink and a bag of chips to keep me alive till we got home. Sometimes I would get lucky and even get a hamburger and vanilla milkshake from Checkers. 

When Michael still was still living at home and going to our church, I could go stand beside him while he talked to his friends and he would just act like it was no big deal. It was nice. I treasure my memories of time spent with Michael.

I remember the first time I ever played keyboard at the church and it was pretty bad. I wasn't very good, and I was upset with myself. Michael could tell something was up on the way home and he said, "Something wrong, Jen?" I spilled it (as usual) and waited for the sympathy. Haha, I don't know what I was thinking. He said, "You know, in Philippians 3 it says we should forget the things that lie behind and press on to what lies ahead." Yep, that's Michael for you. When you're with him, you're bound to get a sermon at some point. And I honestly love it. It's good to have that from my older brother, because it means more, because I know he loves me so much.

Michael has seen me cry a lot of tears. No lie, I used to tell him that I saved my tears for him. He would come home and I would unload. I can bare my soul to Michael. I find myself putting a guard up when I'm around the kids, because I don't want them worrying about me. But when I'm with Michael I can just totally let everything out, and be real, because he can take it. He always has some kind of wisdom to impart and knows when to just let me cry myself out and not say anything. I love that about him. He is so patient and understanding.

When Michael got married, it was tough for me. The wedding day in general was tough, but also just knowing that he wasn't going to just be my big brother anymore was hard. Things haven't really changed though. Michael and I are just as close as we were before, maybe even closer. He still knows how to make me smile, and knows how to talk to me. He still "accidentally" knocks me to the floor while giving me hugs; he still emails me and calls me. He still plays with my hair and knows how to make me feel important and wanted. He's one of the most important people in my life, and I love him a ton.

And yes, he does knock me down sometimes. :)