bright hope

chilly/chili/chile

2007-11-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

I LOVE this cooler weather! Autumn and winter are definitely my favorite seasons. I love to awaken each morning to cold dew and frost on the grass. The hues of red, yellow, and orange in the trees are absolutely breathtaking. It makes walking the dog in the morning so much more enjoyable!
Kirk & I will be joining my dad for a trip down to Mississippi to visit my mom's family this weekend. My grandmother's brother and sister-in-law, Uncle Davis & Aunt Jean, are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this Saturday. We're looking forward to a lovely drive and, of course, our usual stop at the White Trolley Cafe for a slugburger. mmmmmmm....

R I P

2007-10-22T11:29:00.000-04:00

December 2005 - October 2007

So ... the unthinkable occurred this weekend. I washed and dried Kirk's iPod. I know, I know .. you must be thinking "How on earth could she have done this?!?!" I ALWAYS check all of our pants pockets when I'm sorting the clothes, but I just never thought to check inside the breast pocket of his dress shirt. When we heard a clunking noise coming from the dryer, I immediately asked him, "Do you know where your iPod is?" It was at that moment that the feeling of dread overwhelmed us both. We retrieved it from the dryer and attempted to get it to come back on. It did appear that the screen was functioning again momentarily, but alas, it is dead. I must say that Kirk handled it very well. He's so understanding and patient. I love those attributes, and I love him! I think you can guess what's on the top of his Christmas list now.

nice weekend !

2007-10-15T09:21:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally managed to initiate Kirk into the Horner family camping tradition this weekend. It was wonderful. We met my parents down at the Greasy Creek site in the Parksville Campground. It's become one of our favorite camping spots. We even brought along the dog, but I dont know if we'll do that again. She didn't exactly enjoy being on the leash the entire time. The temperatures were great during the day, but at night that windy 40 degree chill hit hard inside the tent. Next time we'll bring more blankets, but overall, we really enjoyed ourselves.

One of the major highlights of our trip was that Mom was finally able to teach me how to crochet! I've been wanting to learn for a while, so I was thankful that she sat by the campfire with me and shared her impressive skills. I've already started on a little afghan since we got home. It's great fun!

Yesterday, Kirk & I sang a duet at church. One of his all-time favorite songs is "The Old Gospel Ship" so, we sang it together. There were so many people who came to us after service with lots of compliments and big grins on their faces. They were so pleased that we had pulled out such a classic hymn to sing. It made us feel great.

Yesterday afternoon, we were treated to an enormous Mexican feast provided by our moms. They had both prepared various dishes that morning for Sunday dinner. When we discovered what they each had made, we decided to have them join their forces for us to all eat together. It was great! The menu consisted of beef & bean burritos, chicken enchiladas, spanish rice, black bean tortilla soup, homemade salsa & guacamole, and chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. Needless to say, it was fantastic!

work, work, work

2007-10-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

I'll just completely avoid the subject of how long it's been since I blogged and move right on into the celebration of Kirk's new job! He is now an apprentice electrician. He's really been enjoying learning this new trade. He should be able to complete his certification/licensure within 1 year. We are thrilled that he works the same schedule as me during the days with weekends off as well. Not to mention the wages are much more competitive. It's great!

Speaking of work, we are absolutely addicted to "The Office" (the U.S. version). I know the original British version is cleverly hilarious too, but we just relate so much more to the other. We've been getting seasons of it from Netflix.

We were scheduled to go camping this weekend, but the weather forecast is not looking favorable at all [insert thundershowers here]. We'll probably just postpone until next weekend. Maybe by then the temperatures will have dropped a little more into the autumn range and some colorful leaves might be peeking out from the forests.

Well, that's all for now. Maybe it won't be several months before I blog again!

accent

2007-08-13T08:26:00.000-04:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
The West
Philadelphia
Boston
The Inland North
North Central
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

too long

2007-04-04T13:28:00.000-04:00

Well, you know it's been too long since your last post when it takes a couple tries to remember your password to log on to your blog. But I digress ... life is such a fascinating journey. I feel like no matter what my circumstances each day when I awake, I am excited about seeing what that day is going to have in store for me. The bumps, bruises, twists, and turns all have some new appeal to me that they didn't have before. I am blessed.

Kirk is the absolute most wonderful husband in the universe. He makes me feel joy and satisfaction in ways I didn't know were possible. Our voracious appetites for more of our Abba Father in our lives recently has drawn us even closer to each other. It's so cool!

Easter is so exciting. I'd love to participate in an egg hunt. I remember how excited I used to be when Mom would let us boil eggs and dip them in the food coloring. The odor was very distinct, and not exactly pleasant, but it was so much fun! Maybe Kirk & I will make some and hide a bunch out in the yard, then go crazy hunting them!

Above all else, may we be grateful to God for a Saviour who died and arose for us all.

bird

2007-02-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

I went to the grocery store this week to pick up a few items and decided to stop by the deli to purchase some delicious cajun roast beef for sandwiches. While I was waiting for them to slice the meat, I glanced down to the floor and standing right next to me was a little bird. His head was turned up toward the large case full of gourmet cheeses as if he were contemplating which one to buy. His tiny feet then clumsily scampered on the cold tile floor over to the cake display at the bakery to admire the luscious cakes. Then he used his wings to flutter away toward the produce section. It made me smile.

I was instantly reminded of a line from a favorite movie of mine where the female character describes observing a butterfly on the subway who gets on and off the train as if it actually had a conscious purpose and desired destination for its movements. Sometimes I wonder if God looks down upon us like little birds or butterflies. We flutter around incessantly searching for "something," some destination or place where we think we should be, when really we need to be relying more heavily upon Him to be guiding our tiny footsteps across the face of this planet we call home. It is my prayer today that the mind of Christ will be so alive within me that I feel His hand gently directing my delicate little "wings" along this journey called life.

v-day

2007-02-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Kirk & I had a wonderful time celebrating our 1st Valentine's Day together as husband and wife. We spoiled each other with fun gifts and went out for a delicious Mexican dinner.

Then it was back home to enjoy DaVinci Code again on DVD. We like that movie a lot, but most of all, we like each other A LOT ! : )

love is in the air

2007-02-05T13:07:00.000-05:00

It's February, and that means that we are not only celebrating black history month, but we're also making history during this month of love. Kirk and I were privileged to attend our first ever Couples' Retreat this past weekend in Pigeon Forge, TN. It was fabulous. We made some very special memories together and also absorbed some very valuable information from gifted teachers.

It was so difficult to leave there yesterday to face the real world again, but at least that Colts Super Bowl win was a nice treat to come home to. Go Peyton Manning ... you really are an MVP !! And how about that totally rad halftime performance from Prince? Now that's what I call entertainment!

a nice day off

2007-01-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I decided to take the day off from work, and Kirk was off work also. We decided to hop in the car (along with Andee) and take a trip up to the site of our wedding. We felt this was appropriate given the fact that yesterday marked our 4 month anniversary. (wow time really flies)

The weather was absolutely amazing. There were incredibly blustery winds and lots of sunshine high atop Chilhowee mountain. As per usual, the views at each overlook were simply breathtaking. It was also about 20 degrees colder up there than it was down in our little valley community of Cleveland. It was a very nice day.

And of course, to top it off, we made the traditional stop at the Shake Shack on Highway 64 for a Mayfield ice cream shake on the way back home. mmm mmm good !

auld lang syne

2007-01-03T15:24:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all of our loyal reader(s) wherever you may find yourselves this first month of the year of our Lord two thousand and seven. It's weird to me to think that it's actually 2007. I remember being a kid and thinking I'd never even see the year 2000. I feel really old sometimes and incredibly young at other times.

Kirk & I had a wonderful 1st holiday season together as husband and wife. We were able to spend some quality time with both of our immediate families and some extended family in Mississippi. We even adopted our first child ... err umm dog. Her name is Andee and she's a 3 year old beagle/feist mix. She's a pretty great dog when she's not chewing on household items and/or furniture. It is kinda like having a toddler around the apartment. I believe we are getting a headstart on learning some valuable parenting skills. Anyway ... we love her, and she's already become a big part of the newly-formed Tolbert family (as seen below with her loving Daddy).

gloomy Thursday

2006-11-30T12:56:00.000-05:00

It's so cloudy and gloomy outside today. There's a tiny drizzle of rain falling. Yuck! I'm ready for a cold harsh winter with icy frozen nights and blustery snowy days. Maybe it isn't such a great idea to live in Tennessee if you want those kinds of winter seasons. Oh well ... a girl can dream, right?

In other news, the Thanksgiving holiday was wonderful. Our trip to SC was great. We had fun keeping Grandma Margaret company. I got to tromp around the sandy mud and share some memories with Kirk on the farm where he spent most of his childhood. We even got to experience traditional "South Carolina-style" barbecue buffet. I must admit that I was not overly impressed. Kirk and his grandmother love it. I tried almost everything (inluding the ever-mysterious "BBQ hash") but just couldn't really see what the big attraction was. I think I'd prefer to stick with "Memphis-style" barbecue. The restaurant we visited did make really good sweet tea and banana pudding, though, so the trip wasn't a total loss.

My birthday was really nice too. As we were cruising up I-75, Kirk got a call from his job telling him that he didn't have to come in to work that afternoon after all, so he was able to take me shopping and out for a nice steak dinner instead !! I felt really special. He bought me a nice professional-quality hair straightening iron. I've never had one of those before, so I've been having fun experimenting with it all week.

Well, tomorrow is my most favorite day of the week: FRIDAY. Here's to another fabulous (and hopefully arctic) weekend !

giving major thanks

2006-11-21T15:02:00.000-05:00

I just received the glorious news that the office is allowing us to leave tomorrow at noon and take the rest of the week off with pay. Now that's something to be THANKful for !!! I'm so glad. That will give me some extra time to do laundry, pack, and prepare some food for our trip to South Carolina.

My contributions to the Thanksgiving feast on Thursday will include a made-from-scratch chocolate cake, broccoli-cheese casserole, and a combination of cream-style white corn and yellow sweet whole kernel corn. Wow ... my mouth is watering already. I'm really craving some seriously delicious roasted turkey, traditional southern-style cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, and sweet potato casserole .... oh and I musn't forget the pumpkin pie and coffee too! I don't know if that's exactly what Grandma Margaret's menu will consist of, but it's what I'm imagining right now. mmmm

Ya know, it's really a shame that we Americans choose to celebrate by eating this meal only once or twice a year. I mean, come on, this is feel-good-comfort-food at its finest!

I'm also looking forward to catching some of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Even just hearing it on the TV in the background while we're busily cooking in the kitchen stirs a tradiational excitement in me.

So, with that said, Happy Thanksgiving to one and all !

2006-11-17T10:52:00.000-05:00

I'm really excited that it's Friday. The holidays are upon us, and it is absolutely my most favorite time of the year. Kirk & I are finally recovered from our head colds that we shared with each other the last couple weeks. That was no fun at all.

We're getting very anxious for our Thanksgiving trip to South Carolina next week. We'll be visiting his maternal grandmother who lives on their old family farm in a tiny town called Denmark. I was able to travel with him down there this time last year, and it was a great trip. We're going to help prepare a yummy Turkey Day dinner with his Grandma and just go exploring on the property. We can't wait.

I've been listening to Christmas music all day yesterday and today. I know it's a "bit" early for it, but I just get into the spirit of things this time of year, and can't help myself. AOL radio has a great Oldies Holiday station that I've found. Good stuff! Next stop: decorating the apartment. I hope Kirk's ready for that, because I sure am.

trunk or treat !

2006-10-30T08:35:00.000-05:00

Our church just celebrated it's 3rd annual Trunk or Treat event last night. It's always a blast to see everyone decorate the trunks of their cars and themselves for the evening. Kirk & I decided to utilize our newest gimmick of being newlyweds and transformed ourselves into "newly-deads" instead. It was great fun. I think we were a little too scary for a few of the kids, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

Tomorrow is Kirk's birthday! Yes, that's right, he was born on Halloween. He loves that. We'll be celebrating with my family tonight. Tomorrow night is our usual Tuesday night Bible study over at his parents' home, so we'll be turning that into a birthday celebration as well. Fun stuff.

cool saturday

2006-10-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

Today's a great day! The temperature dropped again last night into the upper 30's. It was fantastic. And, of course, any day that involves sleeping late is GREAT by me!

Later on, Kirk & I will be heading to Chattanooga to celebrate Ben's birthday with him. (Just 1 day late) We're taking him to see "The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D" at the Rave. We can't wait. I've never actually viewed a film in the theatre in 3-D before. Should be pretty neat. Then after that, it's time for dinner in the famous kitchen of Kay a.k.a. Mom. Her homemade lasagna would make even Mario Batali's head spin. Oh yeah ... it's that good !!

T G T F

2006-10-12T15:04:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness TOMORROW is Friday !!

This photo is one that Kirk took while we were touring Chichen Itza in Mexico. This particular shot is from the stadium where competitions/games were held. The Mayan royalty would sit in this perch high above the field to observe all the festivities. Quite amazing to think that it was constructed sometime around 400 A.D.

Married life together is still quite grand for the 2 of us. We're hoping to get some more of Kirk's furniture moved into our apartment tonight. It's been nice to be able to take our time and move things gradually. His parents have been gracious enough to allow their basement to serve as a storage facility for us. Hopefully, we won't be taking advantage of them much longer.

The weather here in Tennessee is absolutely wonderful today. It is officially beginning to feel like autumn, and that is by far my most favorite season of the year. The leaves are crispy and falling to the ground, there's a brisk breeze blowing, and the temperatures are cool enough in the evenings to allow for open windows at bedtime. It's fantastic!

everyday life

2006-09-29T10:21:00.000-04:00

Who knew that just everyday life could be so exciting?! Kirk & I find so much joy in routine activities like grocery shopping, washing dishes, doing laundry, and watching TV now that we can do them all together! Ain't life grand?

Last night we saw this really incredible documentary about the life and times of the golden jackals of Tanzania. There was basically a camera crew that followed one jackal family for a little over 1 year. It was amazing to see their interactions with each other and the life cycle of which they are a part. Being the absolute animal lover that I am, I was mesmerized by the tiny baby jackals. They were so adorable!! I'm always in awe of what an "awe-some" Creator we have and how He maintains constant attention to every little aspect of this vast planet and the creatures on it that He made and loves very much ....... all of us!

a few photos....

2006-09-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

gasp an update !!

2006-09-18T14:25:00.000-04:00

Hello again! You probably thought I'd dropped off the face of this lovely planet, didn't you? Well, I'm still here .... just happily MARRIED now!

Kirk & I had an absolutely wonderful wedding day. Our family and friends were there to celebrate with us, and the weather was gorgeous. We also enjoyed a glorious honeymoon on the beaches of Cancun, Mexico. We snorkeled in a coral reef, ate delectable foods, saw the Mayan ruins at Chitchen Itza, ate more 5-star cuisine, swam multiple times daily, ate more food, drove around some neat waverunners in the gulf, visited Isla Mujeres, and did I mention that we ate?!?! Our resort was amazing. For some reason, I'm tech-savvy enough today to post lotsa great photos, so I'll try to get a tutorial on photo-blogging then provide some for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks to everyone for sending their well-wishes & congrats! We're so excited to start our new life journey together! I'll try to get Kirk to post on here soon also!

it's finally here

2006-08-17T13:06:00.000-04:00

Well ... the HUGE international conference for which I and everyone else in my office has been frantically preparing for the last several weeks is finally upon us. I leave tomorrow morning for Nashville and won't be returning until Monday the 28th. If you're remotely interested in this, there will be a live webcast of the event at http://www.cogopwebcast.org

Kirk & I are absolutely dreading this separation. We've never been apart from each other for more than 2 or 3 days in the last year of dating. He's hopefully going to be able to get a couple days off work next weekend so he can come visit me for at least a day.

In wedding news ... only 23 days left !! We ordered a neat little digital/video camera from target.com yesterday. It will hopefully arrive while I'm gone. We're going to use it in Mexico on our honeymoon. I've never actually owned my own video camera before, so I can't wait to have it!

i muy bien !

2006-08-08T08:05:00.000-04:00

Kirk & I had a fabulous wedding shower on Saturday. Many good friends came to lavish us with great gifts. We are truly blessed. I can't wait to begin our new life together and put to good use all of these neat things !

Monday has somehow become "night out at the cinema" for us. I guess it's because Kirk is usually off work then. Anyway, it's actually pretty cool, because we don't have to wait in long lines and share the theatre with too many other viewers. Last week we watched "Cars." It's another MUST-SEE Pixar treat. I loved it! Last night we went to see "Lady in the Water." It was quite fascinating. I think Paul Giamatti is an incredible actor. He's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. This movie actually featured its director, M. Night Shyamalan, a lot more than any of his others that I've seen. He typically makes a cameo somewhere during his films, but he was an actual character with lines in this one. It was really good.

last weekend

2006-08-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

We had a fabulous time last weekend during our trip to Mississippi to visit family. Kirk was able to meet a few cousins and aunts and uncles. It was great. They loved him [as I knew they would], and he loved them [as I knew he would]. Ben even got to travel along with us which was an added bonus.

Upon our arrival Friday night, Grandma was busy preparing a feast of enormous proportions for that evening. The family came over, we ate until we couldn't breathe, and sat around together. Then on Saturday, Grandpa drove us all around historic downtown Memphis. He showed us some old factories where he used to work, the University of Memphis, the Pink Palace Museum, and Graceland. We also got to walk around Beale Street and go into the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks. It was a fantastic day together. Sunday morning we went to my grandparents' church for service, then ate some leftovers from Friday's meal before driving back home that afternoon.

Back to work now ..........

countdown

2006-07-18T13:26:00.000-04:00

There are only 53 days left until our wedding day !! We are so very excited. Plans are progressing very nicely. We bought Kirk a fantastic suit last night in which he's going to look so incredibly handsome. It was on sale too, so that was perfect! Now, we are both completely outfitted for the occasion. I just have to mail the invitations (which Ben is so graciously designing and printing for us) once they're finished. We've completed the "registering" process at the department stores of our choice. Our church is hosting a shower for us on August 5th. I am looking forward to that day as well. We're scheduled to meet with the new minister we selected to perform our ceremony next Tuesday. We hit a snag with our first choice, but it's all okay now. We'll have some more pre-marital counseling sessions with the new guy. He seems extremely qualified and very nice, so we're glad he's agreed to help us out.

Work is still really busy and will continue to be so until after the International Conference my job is hosting in August, but then that beautiful honeymoon in sunny Cancun will be the ultimate vacation full of lots of R&R !!

weekend update

2006-07-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

I had another pleasant weekend. Friday night we went to the Mountain Opry high atop Signal Mountain. There were several local/regional bluegrass acts who performed. Some were more talented than others, but overall it was a great night. The late night trip to Waffle House afterward was also a blast from the past. I hadn't been there in forever. Their waffles are still the best in the world.

Saturday, Kirk & I went birthday-shopping for his mom. We found her a lovely gift that we hope she will really like. We're celebrating with her tonight by having grilled steaks courtesy of Pete and "Better Than (you know what)" cake courtesy of me .... yummy !

Beginning tomorrow, my week is going to become incredibly busy/hectic, because the auditors arrive back at the office, AND we're having Vacation Bible School at my church! I will be playing the piano for it. It is always fun and exciting to see children being ministered to and worshipping together, but it's also incredibly exhausting to go straight from an 8+ hour workday to a 3+ hour "kidfest" each night. I think I might need to have my head examined soon.

success

2006-07-06T10:36:00.000-04:00

I had a fabulous 4-day weekend. My yard sale endeavor on Saturday was a great success. I profited over $100! Mom and I went shopping and found my wedding outfit on Monday. It's a beautiful skirt/blouse combo that's going to be just perfect for our casual outdoor event. Time does seem to be passing quite quickly, which is good because I'm so anxious for that day to get here!!

I enjoyed the 4th of July immensely as well. I spent most of the day getting sunburned at a friend's pool. Then we grilled hot dogs and chicken kebabs at my parents house. That was yummy and fun too. The city's fireworks display was very impressive this year. Leslie & I waded through the traffic to find a parking spot and actually ended up with a birdseye view of the sparkling/booming/smoking extravaganza!

junkin'

2006-06-30T09:29:00.000-04:00

I went " junkin' " last night in my parents house and in my apartment and came out with quite a few "treasures" which will be sold to the highest bidder tomorrow at a yard sale in which I'm going to participate. I really hope to generate some extra cash flow in a BIG way. Mom even baked some homemade zucchini bread mini-loaves for me to sell also. Even though this event will require quite a bit of hauling, pricing, setting-up, and waking up at an ungodly hour tomorrow morning, I am kinda excited about it. I can remember the yard sales we used to have when I was a kid. It was always such a big adventure that our family enjoyed so much together. Those are some fond memories for me.

I'm also extremely excited about this 4-day weekend coming up. It's going to be nice to be away from the office and out in the sunshine. Hopefully, some swim-time will be involved. On Monday, my mom and I are going shopping to find a dress for my wedding in September. Yippee!

it's a girl !

2006-06-27T10:18:00.000-04:00

Last night, my good friends Jonathan & Mary gave birth to a beautiful daughter named Sara-Allison. She weighed a whopping 9 lbs. 6 oz. and measured 21 inches long. I'm so excited for them!

Today is shaping up to be a busy day since we have auditors arriving at my office any minute now. They'll be here the rest of the week, which makes life oh so exciting for us around here. At least this weekend is the big holiday weekend. I'm taking off a couple extra days to relax and enjoy the sunshine!

long time no blog

2006-06-26T08:14:00.000-04:00

Boy ... it's been a while since I made an entry on my blog! I've just been busy enjoying life. Many of my close friends and "extended" family were in abundance this past Saturday for the wedding celebration of my good friend John and his new wife Leia. I had great fun helping to prepare 300 chocolate-dipped strawberries, 2 gigantic displays of fresh fruit, and 200 ham croissant sandwiches among lots of other delectable menu items. I only wish I had a photo of the fabulous spread that was prepared. It was gorgeous and delicious as well! They're such a sweet couple and it was a lovely day.

Yesterday, Kirk & I discovered the Chattanooga Market for the first time. Ben had told us about it before, but we had not had the chance to go down there. It's held at the First Tennessee Pavilion downtown. There's vendors from the community who sell their arts & crafts, fresh breads, produce, spices, honey, jewelry, and food. It was so much fun. There's even live cooking shows and music on the stages. It's open every Sunday from 12-5 during the summer months. What a great idea it is. We can't wait to go back!

busyness

2006-05-17T15:45:00.000-04:00

I have been so extremely busy at work, that I haven't been motivated to blog much lately. I am counting down the days until June when, hopefully, my work schedule will lighten up somewhat until our big international conference in August.

Our dinner Monday night with the family was wonderful. I highly recommend St. John's Meeting Place for special occasions. The food was delicious and the atomosphere is really nice.

Tonight, Kirk & I have our 2nd pre-marital counseling session. We're looking forward to reviewing the results of our "relationship inventory" that we took during our last session. We've also been reading from our counselor's own book that he published about the spiritual element of marital relationships. It's been quite insightful/helpful. We are excited about developing that aspect of our life together with daily prayer and Bible study together.

Dia de la Madre

2006-05-15T15:05:00.000-04:00

I was able to spend Mother's Day yesterday with Kirk's family. Both of his grandmothers were in town for a visit, so that was a real treat! My parents were out of town for a funeral, so we're celebrating tonight by taking my mom out to a nice dinner in Chattanooga. We're going to St. Johns Meeting Place on Market Street. I've never eaten there before, but I've heard rave reviews about their atomosphere and menu selections, so we're looking forward to a nice evening out!

ho-hum

2006-05-09T13:30:00.000-04:00

It's been a few days since my last post. I've been extremely busy at the office. My physical body is really reacting to the stress of my job lately. It's becoming very frustrating! Among several other things, I am ready to rip the tonsils out of the back of my throat myself! They've been swollen, sore, and yucky-looking the last several days. Unfortunately, there's no time for a doctor visit in my jam-packed schedule. Oh well ... just thought I'd come vent to the cosmic void. *le sigh*

coffee & flowers

2006-05-03T14:43:00.000-04:00

Well, Kirk succeeded in impressing me yet again this morning. He made a special trip to my office to surprise me with red roses and my favorite drink, a mocha frappuccino! I can't imagine what I've ever done to deserve a companion like him, but I'm thankful to have him.

monday already ?

2006-05-01T08:16:00.000-04:00

*yawn* Boy, I really hate this place [the office] on Monday mornings! To be totally honest, I think I hate it every morning, but we won't go there. I had an okay weekend. Friday night we had dinner with my brother, Ben. Let's hear it for Thai food! I did have to work for a little while on Saturday, but overall, I was able to get some relaxing time in with my favorite person in the whole wide world, Kirk. We watched a couple good movies that we'd been wanting to see: "Jarhead" and "Two For The Money." We enjoyed them both. I'm really wishing that I had eaten breakfast this morning. I am going grocery shopping tonight to take care of that problem. Oh well ... nothing else to report at this point. Over and out!

boredom

2006-04-27T15:28:00.000-04:00

I'm "exhaustified" of being at work and really wish it were 5 o'clock right now. I am ready to be out of this place! Some pasta with meat sauce sounds really yummy to me right now. I think I'll make some for Kirk & me for supper.

Brightness

2006-04-25T14:38:00.000-04:00

It's another gorgeous day here in Eastern Tennessee. We're supposed to have some more heavy thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow, but right now the sun is shining brightly and everything looks really green and vibrant. I love it!

Tonight, I will be preparing dinner for my weekly Bible study group. Our menu will consist of homemade cheesy chicken enchiladas, refried beans, tortilla chips with salsa, and strawberry cake with lemon icing for dessert. *yummmm* My mouth is already watering!

Kirk & I have developed another Tuesday tradition. After small group meeting, we love to watch our 2 new favorite reality TV heros in action: "Dog the Bounty Hunter" and "King of Cars" on A&E. It certainly keeps us entertained!

t g i f

2006-04-21T13:46:00.000-04:00

I am so incredibly glad that today is Friday. I cannot wait to sleep late tomorrow morning. Work has been exhausting this week. I am truly baffled by the concept that I am supposed to actually maintain this type of lifestyle until I am 65 years old. It just doesn't seem acceptable to me. I want so much more than to simply work 40+ hours every week for the next 30 years!

Weather Man

2006-04-19T09:57:00.000-04:00

WoW ... the weather outside right now is incredible! The dark/cloudy sky gives the appearance of being about 8:00PM even though it's actually only 10:00AM. We're also having a powerful lightning and thunder show amidst a torrential rainstorm. I feel slightly troubled, but impressed all at the same time!

Arrested Development

2006-04-18T16:13:00.000-04:00

I had a medical appointment bright and early this morning. You know the kind that we women always dread with a passion and put off until it becomes absolutely necessary for us to go? Yeah ... that one. Thankfully, it wasn't so bad! I tried out a new doctor for the first time. His bedside manner was incredibly kind. I think I'm really going to like him. He kept things short and sweet which is always positive in those situations.

I've been totally un-motivated to work today at the office. There's no lack of things to do, but I just don't really feel like doing any of them! I guess I better get something done in the next 45 minutes so I won't feel like it was a total waste to be here all day. I have answered the phone a lot today which counts for something, I suppose.

Oh yeah .... if you've never seen the short-lived sitcom "Arrested Development" you gotta check it out. Kirk bought Season One on DVD, and every episode we've watched has had me in hysterics! Just be prepared for total hilarity.

2006-04-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

I had an enjoyable 3-day weekend. Some friends and I went to Nashville on Friday to visit Opry Mills Mall and do some shopping. It was fun. That place is huge. I had been once before, but forgot about the overwhelming size of it all!

Yesterday, Kirk & I were part of an Easter musical program at our church. We shared a short monologue/testimony and sang a duet. It was very touching to be able to do that, and many people said it moved them to tears. We were blessed to be able to be used in that way. What an amazing man he is. The love within my heart for him grows deeper with each passing day.

I also shared a delicious meal with my family and went for a walk in the park with them. The weather was lovely again, so we had a great time taking Ben's dog Borris along with us. He is so much fun!

Beautiful Savior

2006-04-13T15:24:00.000-04:00

Today is Holy Thursday. The day upon which Christ shared a final meal with His disciples. What a sacrifice He made in order to extend to you and me grace that is rich, full, sweet, and free. Blessed Easter to You!

Sanctify Me O God

2006-04-12T16:08:00.000-04:00

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ I Thessalonians 5:23

2006-04-11T16:58:00.000-04:00

Kirk & I have decided that Saturday, September 9th, shall be the date of our wedding. We are planning a very small and intimate gathering of family and close friends. It will take place at a lovely little gazebo in the Chilhowee recreational area of the Smoky Mountains overlooking the Ocoee River and valley. As you can see, the view is truly breathtaking!

2006-04-10T15:18:00.000-04:00

The weekend of baby/house/pet-sitting was a huge success! Jaden is an incredibly pleasant infant. I don't think he actually cried full voice for any reason the entire time. He's so mild-mannered and enjoyable to be around.
Children are truly miraculous little gifts from God.

TGIF

2006-04-07T08:59:00.000-04:00

I'm super-excited for the weekend! Only 3 more hours of work left. My friend, Leslie, and I are going to be baby-sitting / pet-sitting / house-sitting for some friends of ours. They have a 4 month old son, a 15 year old border-collie mix, and 2 cats. Should be an interesting 3 days for certain! This photo was taken on Halloween '05. Leslie was an 1980's aerobics instructor, and I was 1920's silent film star, Clara Bow. Good times!

lovely day

2006-04-05T16:14:00.000-04:00

I am so in love with the weather we're having today! It's gorgeous, and I can't wait to get off work and get out in it! I was cleaning up some photo folders on my computer and came across this one of my cousin's daughter, Caitlyn, from last Easter. What a cutie pie she is!
It makes me happy that another Easter season is just around the corner.

numero uno

2006-03-31T14:28:00.000-05:00

eBlogging has called my name again. I shall give it my most valiant effort. This photo is of me with my fiancee, Kirk. He just proposed last Saturday. We are very excited to begin a new life together.