30 June 2007
LOL!
Rick's blog is making me laugh... he's moved to Australia to help with a church plant. You need to check it out.
29 June 2007
It's been a while...
I know. The last post doesn't really count as a "real post." So, here's what I've been up to this month...
June 8: Amy and I 
went to MS to help Myrna with her daughter's wedding. I took pictures at the rehersal, the dinner and the bridesmaid's lunch and then helped get the reception ready most of Saturday. I don't know that I've ever sliced so much bread, cut so much fruit, mixed so much tea, or washed so many dishes. But it was all worth it!
went to MS to help Myrna with her daughter's wedding. I took pictures at the rehersal, the dinner and the bridesmaid's lunch and then helped get the reception ready most of Saturday. I don't know that I've ever sliced so much bread, cut so much fruit, mixed so much tea, or washed so many dishes. But it was all worth it!
aren't they cute? and I washed a window too :)
The DELICIOUS cake. Chase and Holly!!
June 16: Marsha and Tyler's wedding!! It was so fun.
June 16: Marsha and Tyler's wedding!! It was so fun.
Butterflies were landing everywhere after the release!
Small group girls and the after-party downtown!
June 22: Headed up to Toronto to train Canadian churches on how to do Upward. Again, it's amazing that I get paid to help people reach kids and their families for Christ.
June 22: Headed up to Toronto to train Canadian churches on how to do Upward. Again, it's amazing that I get paid to help people reach kids and their families for Christ.
It was a really old (and cool) gym...
19 June 2007
Marriage
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
(Written by kids)
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-Kristen, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?!
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER By then.
-Camille, age 10
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-Martin, age 10
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the Newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
-Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-Howard, age 8
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-Anita, age 9 (bless you child)
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is........
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck hit her.
-Ricky, age 10
(Written by kids)
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-Kristen, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?!
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER By then.
-Camille, age 10
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-Martin, age 10
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the Newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
-Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-Howard, age 8
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-Anita, age 9 (bless you child)
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is........
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck hit her.
-Ricky, age 10
17 June 2007
to buy or not to buy...??
Many of you know that my roommate is getting married in November (woohoo for the "soon to be" Neelys!!), which means I have to find somewhere else to live because a boy will be moving into 205! Crazy, I tell ya... :)
Anyway, I kept going back and forth trying to figure out if I should buy something or not. I was 98% resigned to the idea of renting for a while while I continued to save money and in six months or so, start looking again. Well, a week ago Monday I went and looked at a couple of condos and really liked one of them. Everything about it was fabulous. So, Wednesday I went to look again and just kept praying that if I wasn't supposed to do it, that God would just slam the door in my face (sometimes I have a really tough time following Him when he says, "No" so if the door is slammed in my face then I have no wiggle room).
So, Wednesday night I was sitting down with my realtor signing the papers to make an offer when we did a quick check on the interest rates. Oh my... they were at 6.75% which was half a percentage up from the last time I had been out looking. So, we decided to hang tight until morning when I could talk to my would-be lender. Although when I called him, rates had jumped to 7.125%. I think my heart stopped for a second.
He tried his best to look at other options for me and different programs but nothing was going to fit. So, I took this as God slamming the door in my face. And am, afterall, going to rent an apartment for a while. You know what though? I'm 100% fine with it. I don't know the reasons behind God stopping me from purchasing something right now, even though I have been through every scenerio possible in my head (trust me!). Therefore, I'm going to remain mobile in my living situation and see what He has in store.
Now all I have to do is find enough furniture to furnish a one bedroom apartment!! That's what happens when you've always lived with people who have enough of their own furniture. Although I am pretty excited about having a NEED to go shopping for household items. haha :)
Anyway, I kept going back and forth trying to figure out if I should buy something or not. I was 98% resigned to the idea of renting for a while while I continued to save money and in six months or so, start looking again. Well, a week ago Monday I went and looked at a couple of condos and really liked one of them. Everything about it was fabulous. So, Wednesday I went to look again and just kept praying that if I wasn't supposed to do it, that God would just slam the door in my face (sometimes I have a really tough time following Him when he says, "No" so if the door is slammed in my face then I have no wiggle room).
So, Wednesday night I was sitting down with my realtor signing the papers to make an offer when we did a quick check on the interest rates. Oh my... they were at 6.75% which was half a percentage up from the last time I had been out looking. So, we decided to hang tight until morning when I could talk to my would-be lender. Although when I called him, rates had jumped to 7.125%. I think my heart stopped for a second.
He tried his best to look at other options for me and different programs but nothing was going to fit. So, I took this as God slamming the door in my face. And am, afterall, going to rent an apartment for a while. You know what though? I'm 100% fine with it. I don't know the reasons behind God stopping me from purchasing something right now, even though I have been through every scenerio possible in my head (trust me!). Therefore, I'm going to remain mobile in my living situation and see what He has in store.
Now all I have to do is find enough furniture to furnish a one bedroom apartment!! That's what happens when you've always lived with people who have enough of their own furniture. Although I am pretty excited about having a NEED to go shopping for household items. haha :)
03 June 2007
Holy Babies, Batman!
Just had to get this out...
I tend to laugh at myself a lot because while I'm not the drama queen, I can work myself up to sound like one just to make myself laugh in order to keep myself from really freaking out. It's actually pretty fun... you should try it! Anyway, I had lunch on Friday with Natalie and Adri and love that they live so close to the office that I've been able to go and see them during Natalie's maternity leave. But, tomorrow, Natalie comes back to work... which means it's been 14.5 weeks since Adri was born. Oh my gosh!
I was actually fine about Adri being 14 weeks old until I went to Jill's blog and saw how big Andrea is getting. In the most recent pics Jill has put up, Andrea looks so much more like a little girl than a baby!! Granted she just turned one in mid-March, but still. Can these kids stop growing up, please?? That would be great, thanks.
Obviously, regardless of how many times I ask, the kids keep growing. The thing that worries me is that if I'm this "emotional" about my friends' kids growing up, I'm going to be a wreck when I have my own kids one of these days!! Good grief... maybe I should go ahead and buy some stock in Kleenex... ;)
I tend to laugh at myself a lot because while I'm not the drama queen, I can work myself up to sound like one just to make myself laugh in order to keep myself from really freaking out. It's actually pretty fun... you should try it! Anyway, I had lunch on Friday with Natalie and Adri and love that they live so close to the office that I've been able to go and see them during Natalie's maternity leave. But, tomorrow, Natalie comes back to work... which means it's been 14.5 weeks since Adri was born. Oh my gosh!
I was actually fine about Adri being 14 weeks old until I went to Jill's blog and saw how big Andrea is getting. In the most recent pics Jill has put up, Andrea looks so much more like a little girl than a baby!! Granted she just turned one in mid-March, but still. Can these kids stop growing up, please?? That would be great, thanks.
Obviously, regardless of how many times I ask, the kids keep growing. The thing that worries me is that if I'm this "emotional" about my friends' kids growing up, I'm going to be a wreck when I have my own kids one of these days!! Good grief... maybe I should go ahead and buy some stock in Kleenex... ;)
28 May 2007
My Memorial Day Weekend
It's been a crazy busy weekend but as I laid by the pool this afternoon thinking about it all, I realized how amazing the whole thing was.
Thursday: trip to Rock Hill to see Brandon Green graduate from high school. Brandon is the son of the missionaries I worked with in Belgium and they have become like family to me. I laugh so much when I'm with them and Thursday was no exception!
Before:
After:
Friday: I drove up to Tennessee to take pictures for my friend, Melody, as she married the love of her life, Logan. It was so much fun and the only regret of the weekend was that our friend Melissa couldn't be there too :( Other than that, it was a blast to see where Melody grew up and to meet her friends that I've been hearing about for the past three years that I've known her! CONGRATS MELODY AND LOGAN!!
Sunday: On my way back to SC I drove through ATL to meet a friend for lunch. Well, about 20 minutes outside of Marietta, my check engine light comes on. Awesome! I just prayed that I would make it to ATL so that I wouldn't be stranded on the side of I-75. As I'm getting off the interstate my check oil light came on. Cool, huh? After lunch we checked my oil and turns out I had almost none. So, we went to Wal-Mart to get some oil, which obviously helped. But, the check engine light was still on. Long story short, we took my car to Pep Boys and after about 45 minutes or so, they changed the oil and the engine light went off. Turns out I had gotten the wrong kind of oil. Oops! So, I finally made it home around 8pm, all in one piece and my car doing well.
Monday: RELAXATION! Got up around 10:30am when Lindsay woke me up to go wedding dress shopping. So fun! Then, Kelly and I went to lay out by the pool for a couple hours and I then washed my car before coming in for dinner.
I just wish this "weekend" could last for another few days!!!
21 May 2007
The Future MRS. NEELY!
CONGRATS ROBERT AND LINDSAY!!
It happened this past Thursday evening but I had to wait until Lindsay told as many people herself as she could... Robert proposed in CLEMSON this past Thursday and Lindsay said YES YES YES YES!
Robert took Lindsay to dinner w/out telling anyone where they were going... While I didn't know the destination, I had an inkling that a diamond would be given that night. At 9:39pm Thursday during Grey's Anatomy, I got a text from Lindsay saying that Kelly and I should go to her parent's house by 10pm. My response? OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!!! It was fun to celebrate with them and her parents and Kelly that very night!Here are some other pics from the weekend:
Telling Mrs. Shirley the news...
Showing off the bling with Catherine...
I think this is my favorite shot of the weekend... with Tammy at Relay for Life!
Ashley stopped by on Saturday....
Jenn sent Lindz some fun stuff in the mail to help get her ready!
I don't think they've really stopped smiling yet :)
19 May 2007
Mr & Mrs John Sewell!!
It was a fun day and a beautiful wedding. Congrats you two!!
John & Benita Sewell!
They had such a cool cake! And it was yummy too :)
The first dance.
The Pattersons!
Look how blue Adri's eyes are!
Apparently the ducks didn't read the sign...
18 May 2007
excitement...
It is a crazy busy time of year and these next few weeks are no exception! I'm not sure when I will get to post with details but in the next three weeks alone I have three weddings, a graduation and many miles that will be travelled. But I'm really excited about it all because I'll get to see old friends that I love dearly as they celebrate these awesome times in their lives! I also get to meet their friends and family that I've been hearing about for quite some time so I'm pumped about that too!
Anyway, I'll do my best to post some pictures along the way but I wanted to go ahead and put out the warning that I haven't fallen off the planet or up and moved to another country... :)
Anyway, I'll do my best to post some pictures along the way but I wanted to go ahead and put out the warning that I haven't fallen off the planet or up and moved to another country... :)
08 May 2007
Janée in Brussels
It is very difficult to live and work somewhere and for that place, the people and the culture to not become a part of you. Whether you loved it or hated it, that place is a part of your heart. Such is the case with Brussels, Belgium for me. My time there opened my eyes to many things, including many people from different cultures, languages and faiths.
Since I came home - almost exactly 3 years ago - I have not stopped thinking about Brussles and the Muslim neighborhood I called home for 5 months. In the fall of 2004, a woman by the name of Janée moved into my old home and has been living and working there ever since. We have never met, but she has encouraged me monthly with her email updates telling everyone what she has been up to and all that God has been doing.
So, I ask that you pray for my friend who is in Brussels. The Greens have been home for close to a year, but the work they started there has been able to continue through Janée and there seems to be a chance that it will continue to go on! My heart lifted when I read about the possibility. While I have not seen the friends I made in Brussels in quite some time, many of them - who are not believers - are still on my heart. And it would be amazing to see this ministry to them continue!
Janée's blog is at http://onthefridge.blogspot.com/ so you can see for yourself all that God is doing!
Since I came home - almost exactly 3 years ago - I have not stopped thinking about Brussles and the Muslim neighborhood I called home for 5 months. In the fall of 2004, a woman by the name of Janée moved into my old home and has been living and working there ever since. We have never met, but she has encouraged me monthly with her email updates telling everyone what she has been up to and all that God has been doing.
So, I ask that you pray for my friend who is in Brussels. The Greens have been home for close to a year, but the work they started there has been able to continue through Janée and there seems to be a chance that it will continue to go on! My heart lifted when I read about the possibility. While I have not seen the friends I made in Brussels in quite some time, many of them - who are not believers - are still on my heart. And it would be amazing to see this ministry to them continue!
Janée's blog is at http://onthefridge.blogspot.com/ so you can see for yourself all that God is doing!
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