this life in-between the craziness of work and the craziness of law school has already been refueling. I am so thankful for the in-between time to rest, see friends, refuel with Jesus, and just sit. I'm also thankful that this is not going to last for too long because I think I would drive myself (and everyone else around me) insane :) things I am thankful for:
1. uncharacteristically cool June evenings spent in Texas sitting in the quiet, enjoying the breeze, and just listening 2. heart friends & great conversations 3. surprises **even if they drive me NUTS** 4. hard questions & even harder answers 5. quality time with family 6. littles falling asleep on your neck 7. time to read good books 8. sunshine & afternoons by the pool 9. learning things about myself **even when it's not pretty** 10. long morning runs & being sore here's to living today in thankfulness for things big, small, & everything in between!
so, I lied about this being a weekend update because it's really over this past week, BUT it's Monday right now so there's that. last Sunday, I made the trek from NWA to Louisville, KY to visit a boy. not just any boy, though. this one is special. we met about a month ago, and it's just been one fun week after the other **minus this whole long distance thing** I got to visit his city this past week, & it was so fun seeing Louisville for the first time! **warning: there are quite a few pictures for this post & I will most likely be long winded... you were warned**
we ate some great food, including this gem the last day, Nord's Donuts. things you need to know about Louisville: Holy Grail has HANDS DOWN the best burger I've ever tasted, Nord's Donuts has the sweetest people working behind the register & the sweetest donuts you'll ever have, 4th Street Live is a great place for a drink & people watching on the patio... you'll be missing out if you sit inside, & pie kitchen is heaven. literally. tons of different homemade pies & homemade ice creams. heaven, seriously. also, dairy kastle is the bomb when it comes to walk-up ice cream mix-ins. just do it.
dairy kastle is a MUST after sushi. because everyone knows sushi doesn't fill you up... and the go-to dessert has to be a flurry. a small here is 16 oz.... Michael got the 32 oz one with cookie dough & then had to finish the other half of mine :) **insert jealousy of his hollow legs/bottomless pit... where does it go?!?!**
God's timing is hilarious, really. it doesn't make any logical sense that we should try this considering I'm moving to virginia beach to begin law school & he is about to move for his job somewhere on the east coast... BUT we are going to try this whole long-distance thing out. both being control freaks & planners, I'm sure God & the people who know both of us are getting a real big kick out of the unknowns that Michael & I are living in. BUT we are learning to trust that God is sovereign, we are not. so, here's to unknowns & to the next time I see you :)
dear life, there are a lot of big things coming up in the next two months, in the next few weeks, in the next few days. your last day at work is Sunday **insert wide-eyed emoji here** your exit interview for your job & turning in your keys was yesterday. having the last meetings with people you love & will miss tons next year is the pits. waking up to a very bare rooms that continues to become more bare is a little sad, but also sort of exciting. you have two more sleeps before going to Louisville, staying with a dear friend, and seeing the boy! maybe that is what is keeping you afloat right now is looking forward to seeing his face & hugging his neck... I am so thankful for this next six weeks before the craziness hits to see heart friends, lay by the pool, begin my reading assignment, and go on a family vaca! this will definitely make those first few weeks of crazy (aka law school) less insane. there are so many unknowns in you right now, but I'm learning to live in the todays & trusting that God has tomorrow handled.
love ya, mean it. your brain ::side note:: I will be in Louisville, KY next week **insert excited dance here** spending time with a certain someone. SO instead of posting, I will be out living life... but I'll be back to tell about it later. happy new beginnings, loves!!
life has been crazy lately. there have been a lot of ups & downs, days that crawl by, days that are gone in a blink, & a whole lot of question marks. I keep having to remind myself of the things that I am thankful for during this crazy season so that I don't become overwhelmed with all the unknowns. so... here's a list for today: 1. Skype & cell phones that can connect people who live far away. 2. coffee that can pick my mood up in an instant. 3. cool breeze on quiet morning runs. 4. sweet friends who let you crash at their house. 5. pedicures with heart friends. 6. cheesy people with sweet hearts. 7. my new-found appreciation for all things walmart. 8. stillness & time to breathe. 9. sisters who plan tacky-tourist outfits for family vacations. 10. friends who celebrate with you.
packing. bleh. that's about how I feel about it. thankfully that was mixed with making dinner with a sweet friend, garage sale (aka people paying you to get rid of your junk), two great naps, wine + dessert with great friends, a long run, Skype date, and making nachos & cookies with some of my favorites. this past week it started to get real when I woke up to bare walls & a room boxed up. my incredible parents are coming up this saturday, not next, this one. like the one in 6 days. to pack my life into a moving truck & take it back to Texas temporarily. **insert wide-eyed emoji here** I also began to realize that I am having my last meetings with people this week. it is the strangest feeling after developing great friendships with people telling them goodbye for now, yet having no idea when you'll see them again. don't get me wrong, I am so excited for this next adventure, BUT this past chapter in life has been so full. it's hard to let go. but then again, that's what it's supposed to feel like if you've lived well & invested somewhere, right? life has been (and will continue to be) one crazy twist after another. bring it on.
these are some of the lovely ladies I get the privilege of calling family, minus a few equally as incredible others. they love the Lord, are down to earth, love to smile, and enjoy great company. I am consistently challenged by them to love others better, say yes to spontaneous adventures, and to remember my identity in Jesus. two of them are my actual sisters **bet you can't guess which two... no seriously**, three of them are my god-sisters, one is my brother's girlfriend, and two are sweet friends from Watermark. they have each marked my life in a special way & helped make me who I am today. it is so fun getting to do life alongside these women! there was one day when I didn't think other women were useful in my life. I actually was the girl who was always friends with guys because "girls are dramatic", but then God opened my eyes to the sweet friendships I can have with other women in college. having the voice of other women in my life has been a source of growth, truth, encouragement, and comfort. they challenge me, celebrate little things with me, enjoy crafting, love to laugh, and just enjoy life in sweet ways. I cannot imagine my life without this community, and I am so thankful to have been truly blessed with the best. love y'all, mean it!
one of my favorite things about running is switching up the routes. if I keep the exact same route, it becomes self-defeating because my mind remembers how far I have run. great routes for me are ones that are filled with things to look at like downtown houses, beautiful flowers, and large fields. those are the things that slow everything down and speed things up at the same time. slows down because you can look and enjoy the surroundings. speed things up because it distracts you from the fact that you are actually running. another thing that gets me through long runs is having something to process through. this past saturday was my first 6-mile run for the half-marathon training program, and it was a piece of cake for two reasons: 1. it rained on me and I LOVE running in the rain & 2. after a whirlwind of a week with some fun life changes I needed to process. those are the runs where I feel as if I could run for days. so here's the how-to part: 1. decide beforehand where you are going to run and have a good idea of the route you are going to take. 2. get a good playlist ready... something upbeat, but not too crazy where you can't think while running 3. for the first 2 miles, tell yourself you can do this. don't quit. 4. coast to the finish. don't force yourself to finish in a certain time. somedays your body can run faster than others. 5. STRETCH before and after. promise this helps. I do an ab circuit before I run along with a few dynamic stretches. after my runs I like to do a cool-down stretch & then a longer hip stretch later in the day if I have the time. 6. drink water. just do it.
this past weekend was full of family & celebrating our little blondie's high school graduation and the third mac-kid to become a razorback! to say I'm excited about this new stage of life for this littles is an understatement. she has completely rocked out high school, and I have no doubts that she will do the same in college. I love getting time with my family when we are all together. it doesn't happen to often anymore, but when it does, it's one of those things you want to press pause on life. I've had a few of those pause & rewind moments in life this past week. it's times like these that you have to savor & not miss out on what is going on right there. hold onto these moments. they are the sweetest.
