What I'm Reading (Blogwise)

Don't you just love a good blog?  I do.  I'm one of those nosey people who insist upon knowing what's going on in other people's lives.  I find other's life stories fascinating!

So I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite blogs!

Top of my list of course is my roommate, Tressa over @ This & That.  She frequently posts about the craziness that is her/our lives and she's hilarious.  Rarely does she ever edit her posts, which makes them all the more funnier!

Then, of course you have to stop @ Riffraff.  Take a peek at this fabulous little boutique right in the heart of Fayetteville, and if you find something you like, hop on to facebook and just tell them to run your credit card!  Internet shopping made so easy, and you've got to get it fast because they literally run out of every piece of clothing the day it comes in!

Beth Moore has always been my favorite Bible study leader, and of course they have a blog over @ Living Proof Ministries.  She not only posts spiritually relevant topics, but pictures of her family frequent it often.  Her daughters also post on there.  So fun!

In the mood for some style advice?  Look no further than Emily @ Cupcakes & Cashmere.  She combines my two loves--Fashion & Food into daily inspiration for all.

For all you photography buffs, Benfield Photography takes the most incredible pictures of all things L-O-V-E.  I loved them long before they became my best friend Ashley's wedding photographers, and after meeting them for her sessions I am now obsessed.  It doesn't hurt that Meredith is insanely gorgeous, AND they attend my church!

Do you ever feel as though people only post their blog to paint this perfect picture of their lives?  Don't you kind of wanna not like those people??  Well, venture over the The SlaughterHouse Rules and Ang always keeps it real on Keepin' It Real Thursdays where she tells you about the embarrassing, gross, and just plain crazy things that happen to her family.  She's hilarious ya'll and reminds me that we all take life way too seriously!

Finally, how could I be a NWA girl and not mention Kelly @ Kelly's Corner.  Not quite sure how I stumbled across her, but she's the sweetest, most genuine person I've met (or not met...haha oh blogs).  Not to mention she has two adorable kids that she always posts pictures of.  Kelly's pretty famous in the blog world :)

Hope you enjoy!

Wye Mountain

A couple of months ago we took a trip to Wye Mountain to see the daffadoils and take a few pictures of Miss Heelyn. For those who have never been to Wye Mountain before, it's a little place located outside of West Little Rock and for a few weeks each year they have fields of daffadoils that are in bloom. It's absolutely gorgeous.

I stole these pictures from my sister's camera, and edited them. Her Nikon takes WAY better pictures than my little digital camera. I guess you have to invest in a good camera when you have kids :)

My beautiful sister, Kyle, and Miss Heelyn who would not cooperate for the camera at this moment. The sun was a little bright for her.

Next year, if you're in town during the 2nd and 3rd weeks on March, you should head on up to Wye Mountain and see the scenery for yourself!

A Change is Gonna Come Your Way

What has the craziness  pure bliss of my life been since you've seen me last?  Let me catch you up on a few of the details....

1.  I sailed through PASSED my comps!!  Sailed through would be a major exaggeration.  For those of you not familiar with the MAT program.  Comps is the dreaded experience that cumulates our existence in the program.  We began hearing, and preparing for comps last summer, and all the preparation came to a final end on April 27th, 2011.  Comps consists of two parts:  Defense of our Thesis, and Presentation of our Portfolio.  Basically, you defend your Thesis for 1/2 an hour, and then Present your Portfolio for the other 1/2 an hour.  I love public speaking, but this made me nervous to no ends!  I was so relieved happy when my professor walked outside of the room, gave me a big hug, and told me I passed!  Now I only have one more informal observation and a week and a half of student teaching and I will have my MASTERS DEGREE!!!  I can't believe it!

2.  Thanks to my peach of a roommate, I was offered a position as a part-time photographer for Celebrate Magazine here in Northwest Arkansas.  Celebrate is one of the social magazines up here, much like Soiree in Little Rock.  It tells you the who/when and where of NWA.  My position would entail going to Charity events and taking pictures!  Fun, right?!  I would also get 4 tickets to every event!  Due to the fact that I'm not positive on where I'm going to be living next year, I'm still not sure if I'm going to accept the offer or not, but it's fun entertaining the idea.

3.  The job application process is STRESSFUL but the interview process is so much fun!  It's neat finally feeling like something is happening in the job department, and although I can't say much right now...I can say that God will put me exactly where He wants me, and there is SO much comfort in that!


4.  I'm getting very excited to move into my first place on. my. own.  However, finding that place is a long and gruesome search.  I'm very high maintenancee picky about living quarters, and my parents are insistent upon a garage and security system.  There's not too many options out there for that.

I loved Stone Manor in Rogers...

My mom is getting very excited to come decorate my new place!  Decorating is her passion, and I don't mind having her help :)   I'll tell more about my design inspiration ideas soon.

5.  I turned to big 2-3 amidst the monsoon that flooded most of Fayetteville!  In all my years of attending the U of A, and during the entire time the campus has been open, never has it closed for rain!!  I'm telling you, it was insane last Monday.  Insane and dangerous!  Dickson pretty much looked like those water rides you used to ride at Disney World.  I thought my little car was going to get swept away.  

I stole borrowed these pictures from my friend Sarah over at  Peace, Love & Sweet Tea because I am too lazy to upload pictures from my own phone.  

Nope, the U of A did not invest money in new waterfall features.  That's the water pouring off of Old Main Lawn.

Looks like there's not gonna be any tailgating here for a while.  

Yes, we're all idiots and drove through this stuff.  Lots of cars got swept away.

Insane.  That's all I have to say.  And this wasn't during the worst of it.  Notice it's stopped raining now.

This was taken coming down Razorback Rd.

I now understand why it's called a "Flash Flood".  Because "Flash!" there goes your car!

Sorry this one is sideways.  Good luck getting up those stairs!

So yea... the University closed at 3:30 that day, and we all waded home to wait out the floods, and look for an Ark.  For those of you familiar with the Fayetteville area:  Weddington, Township, Old Wire, Hwy 64, Porter Road and many others were completely shut down.  Yea...try getting home when you live on any of those roads.  Rural High School that I teach at was closed on Tuesday because of flooding.

6.  Have you heard??? William & Kate are getting married.  Just wanted to make sure you knew...it's not like the 24/7 coverage didn't clue you in...   Seriously though, I will be one of those loonies watching it while I'm getting ready tomorrow morning.  What girl hasn't dreamed of marrying a Prince and becoming a Princess.

7.  Can't forget to mention that before mentioned roommate Tressa over @ This & That has been selected as the new Executive Accounts Manager for Citiscapes Magazine!  Woo hoo Tressa!!  Now every single one of you need to go buy the magazine!  It does make us sad though, that she will no longer grace Riffraff with her presence....

I'm BACK!

The blog is back!!! So sorry for the temporary disappearance....

I will catch everyone up on my life soon, I know you're just dying to know ;)

Before then... I would like to post a prayer my sister wrote for Heelyn on her blog.  If you're not laughing at the end of this, then either 1) You don't know my family, or 2) You don't have a sense of humor.  Both, of which, are rather unfortunate for you.

"Dear lord - Please keep my little crazy head safe and healthy while she grows up. May you bless my daughter and let her meet all of her milestones on time or near the time everyone else does...no one likes an over achiever . May you watch over her when she begins to walk,  she may be clumsy for I fear that this is a family trait that will be passed on (you know all about her aunt j). Please watch over her and give her strength and courage when she makes it to grade school and is taller then everyone in her class (thanks Kyle !!!!!) .  Please help her have quick wit so she can shut down the bean pole comments but also the sense to know when and she can and cannot use this during class . Dear lord I also pray that you give her mommies abilities to sing and dance (you've seen Kyle do both, since you did not spare me this luxury please spare heelyn's friends). I ask that when heelyn becomes boy crazy you give her daddy the patience to deal with all the boys that aren't good enough for his baby girl. For the boys that are just like Kyle please give them the common sense to know that they are not going to have a chance or pull a slick one over on Kyle ... (he's been there, done that, has the ink to prove it. Nothing is going to fly when it comes to his baby girl) During this time in heelyns life please give her the patience to deal with her daddy. (he just loves her so much and doesn't want her dating a little Kyle!) Lord I would also like to ask that when she enters early adult hood no permanent ink makes it to her body , or any Chinese symbol, crown, angel wings etc... appears on the small of her back. ( I mean doesn't Kyle have enough ink for the whole family ?) I ask that when she gets older and she is sitting in a restaurant thinking "this is so easy idk why everyone said having a baby was hard" that her beautiful baby begins to sound like a small army with machine guns followed by green and orange sludge that manages to puddle into mommies lap and makes it all the way up her childs back and mats up her beautiful blonde red hair. She then at that time thinks of me and remembers at one time this was her and I , and I loved her so much that I simply laughed and pressed on with poopy stained jeans. Lastly I ask that when she is laying there at 4 in the morning with a baby gnawing and drooling on her shoulder she thanks you for giving her a little bundle of joy just like you gave me , for she has been such a life changing blessing ."

Weekly Iphone Pics

It's time for this week's installment of random iphone pictures!

We were having face time :)

Spending some time with Aunt J while Mommy went and had her hair fixed!

Assignment for class:  Lots of funny looks came my way.

Annoying guy keeps parking in mine and my roommates parking spots.  I left him a nice little note :)

She definitely looks a LOT bigger than a 5 month old.  Basketball here we come....

Precious.

Her first taste of rice cereal.  Didn't go so well.