The Blank Blog

I have one friend that likes to remind me that it has been a while since I updated my blog. Most recently, he informed me that my blog would be removed from his list if I did not update it within 2 weeks. While talking with this friend, I told him that I don’t update my blog because I have nothing to blog about. I go to school, I go to work, I come home, I hang out with friends, I make dinners that I could post pictures of, and Allan and I even get to do fun things in the midst of his rotations…but really---what are those things?

Don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful for my job. I really love what I am learning in school and am excited for what it will allow me to do. I am blessed by the friends God has put in my life here in Charleston, and I am glad other people post about food because it has helped me be a better cook . I love my time and adventures with Allan and am so so so happy that medical school has not been the big bad ugly monster I was thinking it was going to be.  I can see how God is working in my life, protecting me and our marriage, providing smiles and friendships, etc. etc. etc.. I don’t want to undermine that at all!

but something has been missing for me--and as much as I hate to admit it, that something is dependency on God. I am too comfortable. My life here has been rather easy. Like I said, I go to work, I come home, I go to school, I hang out with friends, I make dinner, I hang out with Allan. I know God is in my daily life, I feel that, but I have not been in a place in my mind of truly, truly needing him and wanting him (or letting him) control my life. Because of that, my life (as demonstrated by the blog) has been, well, blanker. I believe that life is fuller and  more exciting when we are chasing after the Lord and pursuing things of the Lord—things the Lord has put on our heart, things that aren’t always easy, but things where we can see the Lord really move.

For me that thing is tough kids and truth is—I couldn’t tell you the name of one “tough” kid in Charleston. I am so saddened by that fact.

Working with kids at the DHP, I learned how important it is to be in kids lives. I watched people sacrifice their own lives so that they could love kids in the Lord’s name. I watched my supervisors spend their holidays with the DHP kids because the DHP kids didn’t have a family to spend the holidays with. I watched my co-workers take kids on a week long vacation over Christmas so that the kids could experience a “family vacation” because they had never had one. I watched self-less love happen everyday—even when it was not easy or fun.  It’s situations and experiences like that that I like to blog about, and since I have not been doing that, I have had nothing to blog about. And that’s what I think I miss—being in situations that cause me to depend of the Lord’s strength to do something and not my own. I can depend (although I shouldn’t) on my own strength a lot easier when what I am doing is easy to do and when who I am loving is easy to love.  It’s my own fault. I have become too comfortable, while at the same time, feeling discontent because I have not been pursuing the thing the Lord has set on my heart to pursue. (using excuses all the while to not do it)

I guess this post is just a reminder to myself to not be complacent in my walk with Jesus. I want to live each day for Jesus and I want to be challenged. I have a choice to make in that though. The Lord provides opportunities to me, and I often chose the easy path. I could have been nicer to my classmates and pursued the ones that needed friends, but instead I chose to hang out with the people who were easy for me to hang out with.  I want us, as believers, to be challenged in our daily lives, to do things that are tough and uncomfortable, but things that stretch us and grow us in our dependency on the Lord. I want us to do things that we couldn’t do unless the Lord was in it. I I don’t want to live a comfortable life because I don’t recognize the Lord as much in that. I want to live a life that can only be because of the Lord. I want to live like I believe what I say I believe. I believe true joy lies there.

HUTCH!!

The first part of the summer was jammed pack with really awesome and fun things. 

One of the best things to happen, however, was the birth of my newest nephew, Hutchins Brave Hill!

I am so thankful for him and so thankful that I got to be in the hospital waiting room when he was born, which meant I got to meet him when he was really fresh to this world! He is the only one of my neice/nephews that I have gotten to be there for!! Life is just such a miracle. 

Earlier that day, before Hutch was born, and while Natalie was at home having contractions, we were all at the lake having a blast and watching Honey attempt to water ski! She is only 2 and did an amazing job! She didn't get up on the skis, but she didn't get scared and tried!! I was so impressed!

 A little homemade ice cream after some hard playing and napping!

 After the lake, we packed up some things and headed to Greensboro to welcome Hutch to the world! Honey wore her Big Sis outfit and was just so sweet and excited about being a big sister. If you want to watch a super cute video of her meeting Hutch, you can find it here! Its super adorbs! 

Charlies Angels

I was so blessed to grow up on such an awesome street with some amazing playmates. We would play everyday after school. We would play on snow days. We had Halloween parties. We sang (and video taped) every Shania Twain song under the sun. We made up clubs, fought over who would be walked home first, sold pretty flower looking weeds (not weed) to our neighbors, and even defended our neighborhood against the scary blue enemy. 

It was the perfect childhood. 
We were Charlies Angels because we had all the hair colors...red, blonde, and brown!...and because we are awesome fighters. :)

This summer we were finally able to find one weekend that worked for us all to get together for a relaxing beach trip to Bopper's (Christine's) beach house! It was so fun to get to be together again. I can just be myself with these girls. If I want to just sit and not say anything, that is fine. If I want to be ridiculous, that is fine too. They know me so well. There is just something so special about childhood friends. They cannot be replaced!

We have all grown, of course! We all got married within the past 2 years, and one of us has even popped out a baby! Its so fun to see my friend be a mom and love her little precious Sophie!

I am thankful for you girls! Now, I leave you with some ridiculously cute pictures of Sophie Lee! 

Catch up!

If you are not my mom, you should go ahead and exit the screen because this is a just a GINORMOUS catch up blog from oh, January until now : ) I guess, you could say I am a bad blogger.

Anyway, here it goes!

January

We finally hung pictures in our frames after having empty frames for 4 months! It was a great addition.

Charleston was absolutely gorgeous all of winter! It is just gorgeous year round and I get to run around places that look like this!

Allan signed up for the BOARDS! June 11th is it!!! This was a big day! and June 11th will be a big day (although I know he is going to kick the boards ba-donk-a-donk)

This isn’t a monumental day, I just really like this picture : ) Allan playing play-doh with our friend, Gracie!

February

Kallie made me an awesome calendar filled with DHP memories that makes me smile every day!

One of the best days of the year: The UNC/Dook game. I rocked my pin. It was sad though when I said “Carolina is playing tonight!” and people thought I was referring to USC (South Carolina). They are just so wrong. Poor people!

Allan turned into a skeleton from staying in the library too long! AHH!

I got to take more beautiful pictures like this because Charleston is just so daggum gorgeous.

I started reading the HUNGER GAMES! So good!

Mom sent us our pretty little curtains (and pillows!) She’s a professional, y’all.

MY NEPHEW WAS BORN!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLLA! If this isn’t the cutest picture you have ever seen, then….well, I don’t know!! Holy cow. I was so excited to get the call that I WAS AN AUNT again! Welcome to the world Crosby Watson Hill!

Although I was devastated that I could not be there with everyone, I am beyond thankful for technology! I mean check this out! I got to watch everyone interact : ) it was pretty special and I am glad I was there in this form at least! So much fun! 

Brittany came to visit and we jammed at the Miranda Lambert concert!

We then spent the next day on our bikes checking out the beautiful town! How cool are these bikes? I was really thankful for a weekend with Brittany. She gets my heart and understands me. I am also pumped she is going to be working at the DHP starting in June! HOLLA!

MARCH

We got to visit CROSBY in person! BEST DAY EVER! Look at those sweeties :)

Dad and I took Kessler to build a car at Home Depot. Kessler was the cutest handy-man there.

Then Drew, Nat, Honey, and Cookie (baby in-utero) came over to hang with Crosby and me! I am the luckiest aunt in the world. It’s just too much cuteness.

While visiting Kessler and Crosby, I picked up a little something-something. It was the worst cold I have had in a while and was forced to use nasal spray (in honor of Brittany). It helped though : ) But sweet little Crosby got it worse and ended up in the ICU…so I couldn’t really complain!  He is all better now though :) PTL

I found my new favorite drink machine at Moe’s. You chose whatever you want on a touch screen AND it has pellet ice : )

I was finally able to be sworn into the courts to become an Auxiliary Probation Officer. Since leaving the DHP, I have reallllly been missing hanging out with kids from jail! The Lord has just really given me a heart for working with hurting kids and while I am still not sure how it is going to play out, I am begging him for a chance to do something big for him. Maybe even start a DHP on the east coast with my big brother (wink, wink). I am thankful for the opportunity they have here in Charleston, however, to work one on one with a kid on probation. While it is kinda crazy, it is a great way to force kids to hang out with you : ) I mean, they have to be in contact with their probation officer, and I am sort of that. I think it works out well. I am currently working with one 15 year old girl. She’s great. So fun and energetic. You can be praying for the relationship to really start to grow and grow deep and that I could be a friend to her, not just an APO who she is forced to hang out with :)

For Allan’s spring break, we hopped a train to NYC to see the city and also our friends Lindsay and Rudy Bellani! They are such an incredible couple and I am so thankful we got to hang out just a little bit!

While in NYC, I found my dream store. In case you didn’t know, I am a Paige jean snob. It is weird. I admit it. But I found a whole Paige store. I was ecstatic. But… they didn’t have any jeans I liked! I had been searching for some time for the perfect Paige jean, and the Paige store didn’t even have it! Kallie and Stephanie were relived for me!

We learned a little about Occupy Wall St. It was pretty interesting to watch!

After NYC, we stopped in for another quick visit with my family. I held Crosby, awwwwwed at my niece and nephews, and we celebrated over 200 years worth of birthdays (Blake, Meemaw, Abby, Robbie, Terry, and Drew! Wheeww) It was a lot of fun! I am just so thankful for my family! We really are so lucky and blessed.

We made it back to Charleston and this amazing bridge. I just love it!

My siblings and siblings in law gave me an incredible birthday present! AN ICECREAM maker. I am such a woman now. Whoa!

We started having Tuesday Night Worship at our place. We loved this time so much in college and decided that we needed to start doing it again. It is small and quaint, but such a rich time of worship and singing. It is one of my favorite days of the week. I am thankful for the tradition that started at UNC and is continuing on!

Allan and I ran (okay, we mainly walked) the Bridge Run along with 40,000 other people! YAY! It was my second time and Allan’s first (even though he grew up here….)

APRIL

I turned more into my mother this April.  I bought a block of cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese. and ate it by myself. I secretly wanted ruffle potato chips and chocolate icecream to go with it : )

I turned the big 2-5! Hello, mid-twenties! My office friends (now, that sounds very old too) were so sweet and decorated my chair and gave me a crown : ) it was very sweet. Although I cannot wait to teach and interact with kids, I am really thankful for such a chill place to work right now that really has such nice people. I need to be more grateful for that than I am.

Allan surprised me after Tuesday Night Worship with an amazing cookie cake that I ate way to much of in a short amount of time. But seriously, soft chocolate chip cookie with icing? It was really sweet of him! Allan had it stashed under the couch and brought it out at the end so we could celebrate with our friends that were there. I think 25 is going to be a good year!

Allan and his sister ROCKED out at MUSC Live, a benefit concert at the Music Farm (a local music venue downtown). They did so good! I was (still am!) a really proud wife. Those lights look good on him.

So there you have it (actually, this is mainly for my future scrapbooks…once, I finish high school scrapbooks that is…so there I have it?)

Anyways, I actually think I need to do this more often. As I sit here, I am reminded of how much I have and how I need to be more grateful and quit wallowing in thoughts that leave me empty, feeling inadequate, bored, unsatisfied. Those thoughts are not from Jesus. These pictures remind me of that and remind me to wake up and get real with myself. Jesus loves me so much and has blessed me beyond measure. I need to live like I believe that everyday.