Pictures

I wanted to post some pics from my trip to Mobile and Gulf Shores. Sorry it's been a while! There's a whole lot going on--I'll post in more in the next post.

This is me at the beach.

This is me and my friend, Sarah...at Gulf Shores.

And this is Sarah, Jeff, Juan, his baby, Jeremy, and me!

My trip to South Alabama

I've been home from LA(lower Alabama) for a week--and I had lots of fun. I will have to post some pictures as soon as I get the computer connecter for my camera! It was so great to see some old friends from college(Juan, Jeff, Sarah, and Jeremy), and visit with my Grandmother. And it was great to get to go to a Gulf beach...the beaches there are so much better than Carolina beaches--with white sand and blue water you can see through! I went to the beach with Sarah on Thursday. We both got so sun-burned! Then on Friday, I went to the University of South Alabama to see the changes made since I graduated. I also went to my favorite restaurant down on the causeway--"The Original Oysterhouse." And on Saturday, I went to dinner and bowling with all my friends. It was loads of fun!

Now I am back and wishing I wouldn't have had to come back so soon. It would have been nice to take more time off. But that will come later in the year.

Movin' on up!

Okay, so many of you (Alex) will be so proud of me. I bought a digital camera yesterday. It's my first one, and I absolutely love it. It's red in color, which is my favorite! And it has so many little bells and whistles, it will take a while to figure out all it does. But I am going on vacation to Mobile/Gulf Shores, Alabama this week, so I am sure I will get lots of practice! I had been adament not to get rid of my 35 millimeter--I love that camera! But it broke, so I had to get a new one. So, all of you can quit making fun of me for not living in the 21st century! I finally got my digital camera. I'll work on updating my cell phone later :)

Happy Easter

Today is Good Friday. That's the day Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. But he didn't stay there. He rose again on the 3rd day! Hallelujah! Which is why we celebrate Easter. Yes, the Easter Bunny and easter eggs are lots of fun. But let's remember this Easter weekend what Jesus went through for us! He carried a cross, after being beaten. Then hung there on the cross while he suffocated. So, remember the sacrifice!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son. That whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

It's picture time!

I just wanted to post some pictures from fine arts. This is my friend, Olivia, and me at fine arts. We are showing off the awards she won! She competed in four competitions, but will go to nationals for two of them--human video solo and short sermon! Olivia is only 12 years old, but she was able to hold her own against 18 year olds at fine arts.

I am so proud of her. I feel like what I would imagine a proud mama feels like when her child does well. Congrats, Olivia! You did it!

Great Weekend!

So, I got home from Alabama around four yesterday afternoon--I have to say I had a wonderful time.

First, I met one of my best friends, Niecie, at the Galleria. We just found a place to sit, and some food and talked for nearly three hours! It was so great to see her and visit.

Then I went to my sister and her husband's house. We went and ate Mexican food, then came back to their house and played board games. It was just a good time of talking and hanging out.

Saturday, I got up only to discover it had snowed! I was so excited! I got a snow day when I didn't have to work! So, I quickly made plans to go have a snowball fight after breakfast. Well, we ate breakfast, and then I fell asleep on the couch! When I woke up, sadly the snow had melted--so no snowball fight for me :( . We later got ready and went to the galleria to shop a bit. While I was there, I ran into the pastor of my home church, and his wife. I talked to them for a while, then we met my mom and step-dad at the "California Pizza Kitchen" for dinner. Great food! We then went back to the house and played another board game.

So, it was a good visit--I don't get to see them very often so anytime I can, I cherish it. And I needed the time away just to regroup and relax a bit. I feel much better.

Oh--an update to my situation at church--I should be able to stay. I was worried about it, but some things have been put into place that will limit the amount of uncomfortable interactions I will have to have with Brett. I am so blessed to have a church family that loves me as much as they do. After much prayer, I knew I needed to stay. So, this Sunday will be the first Sunday I will be back at church. I know it will probably be very hard, but I will be okay. So, thanks to all of you who've been praying for me.

Yea Alabama!

I get a great treat this weekend. It's the first thing to make me smile in the last couple weeks. I am leaving this morning for Birmingham to visit my sister and brother-in-law! I have needed to get away for a few weeks now. It's a short trip--I'll be home Sunday. But it will be great to see her and just forget about the "real world" for a couple of days. And more good news--I think my mom and step-dad are planning to drive up and have dinner with us on Saturday--they live in Gordo, which is about an hour and a half away.

My doggie will be staying at the "doggie motel". That's what I call the kennel, so he feels like he's getting a vacation, too! He always seems to get excited when I ask him if he's ready to go to the "doggie motel"!

I swear--I am so tired of getting sick! I seem to be catching everything--my doctor doesn't seem concerned. He says everyone's sick right now. This week, I got a really bad sore throat, a bad cough, and a fever. My doctor said I had an infection--he gave me an antibiotic and today I am feeling much better. I do still have a nasty cough.
I spent two days out of work. I hated to, but I had no energy and all I did was sleep.

Well, gotta go. I think I will head home and sleep a couple of hours before I head to B'ham. I am so excited!

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Well, it was short-lived(3 months), but I am glad I know what I know now before I spent too much time in this relationship. Brett and I broke up--this time for good. It's a long story, and I'm not going to go into it all, but let's just say I wasn't ready for the level of committment he wanted, so he decided to end things completely. It was an all or nothing deal. Then he said some pretty nasty things to me. So, I won't be having anything else to do with him. And that does hurt, but I guess that's life, and I just have to learn from this. You have to be willing to get your heart broken to have any type of relationship--right now, I am picking up a million shattered pieces. I can handle break-ups, but some of the things he said when he ended our relationship, is what hurt so bad. And the bad part--we go to the same church and are involved in the same ministries. So, now I have to make some pretty big decisions.

Just please pray. This is only one big thing going on in my life right now. it feels like everything's happening at once, and I'm feeling very overwhelmed.

Please Pray for Me

Okay, I know I have lots of friends out there in the blogger world--and I really need your help this morning. My life right now is so overwhelming. I just need prayer. I've got so many different issues going on that it's hard to even know where to begin. And I can't really go into detail right now. But just please remember my name when you pray.

Weekend Update

So, for the most part--this weekend was pretty good. Friday night, I rented "No Reservations". I cooked pork chops and Brett and I watched the movie and ate.
Then he left early, because we had to be up before daylight to head to Columbia for fine arts.
I have to say, I now know what it feels like to be a proud mama. Although I'm not her mom, I would claim her any day. Olivia entered four competitions: short sermon, human video solo, piano, and art. She got superiors on everything--and is invited to nationals for the short sermon and the human video! Those are the two that I helped her with, so it made me feel really good! She did amazing! Olivia was one of the youngest at fine arts...she's 12. The competition is for 12-18 year olds. I am so proud of her. So, we're heading to nationals, which just so happens to be in Charlotte this year!

Sunday--well, I was so exhausted that I ended up not going to church. But I did meet Mike and Heather for lunch. Then came back home to head to bed for another week at work.

Brett and I have decided to take some time off from each other to decide if we should continue to give this relationship thing a try. Don't know what will come from this week. But hopefully if we decide to not "date", then we can still be friends. We will have to see. I am just not very good at this whole relationship thing--just ask any of my former boyfriends! And I know I have a lot of things I want. But there are some "must haves" and some "can't stands" that I am dealing with right now. I don't have a lot of those, but the ones I do, I'm having to decide how important they are to me. And I am spending a lot of time in prayer so I can try not to make any big mistakes in this. Because although he's a great guy, he may not be the one God has for me and I need to be open to what God is saying.

Well, there's so much more I could talk about, but I will end now. I took some pictures at fine arts--I will try to post some soon!

Thank God It's Friday!

It is Friday, and it is raining. Looks like good sleeping weather! I am about to go home from work to start my weekend, and I am looking forward to a nice relaxing day today. Don't really have much planned. Think I may go rent a movie or something to watch tonight.

Tomorrow, if Fine Arts competition here in South Carolina. I have been helping my 12-year-old friend, Olivia, with her solo human video and her sermon. This is her first fine arts. So, we will be leaving bright and early for Columbia in the morning. It will pretty much be an all-day event. I just pray she does well. She's so talented--and nationals are in Charlotte this year, so going would be feesible if she makes it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

My Weekend

So, Valentines week is finally over--thank goodness! It's enough to make a girl go crazy with nerves! But it was fun! Didn't know I could like February 14th so much.
This weekend was a really good one. Friday, I decided to take the day for a little R&R. I turned my phone off and slept for like six hours. Then I rented two movies and got take out. I ate and watched them--then I took a bubble bath. It was so nice and refreshing. I have felt great ever since.
Saturday night, I went on my Valentines Date. We went to a restaurant called Rick Erwins http://www.rickerwins.com/. It was really nice. I had red snapper and he had steak. After we finished eating, we went on a carriage ride through downtown Greenville. Now, I had always wanted to do that, but I found that I probably would have had more fun had we not been in Greenville. For one, I felt like a fish in a fishbowl. Everyone was staring as we rode down the street. Plus, I know what Greenville looks like, so I wasn't seeing anything that I don't always see. I probably would have liked it better somewhere that I wasn't familiar with. But I really thought it was nice for him to do that for me. Just wasn't what I thought it would be.
After we left there, we went and had coffee--then he brought me home. It was a really good evening.

Valentines Day

So, I am usually the one that hates Valentines day. I mean, seriously, why do you need a special day to show someone that you love them? So, to me, Valentines Day is just a day to remind folks that are single that they're single. That's why many call it "singles awareness day".

So, this year, I have been seeing this guy for a few months. And he is bound and determined to change my mind on Valentines Day. And it's working. But I have to say, he give me flowers all the time and does sweet things for me a lot. So, my reasoning doesn't really apply in this case, anyway.

When I got to work last night, there was a huge bouquet of flowers on my desk, along with a teddy bear and Sees Candy. Now, Sees is my very favorite, but you can't get it here! So, he ordered it online! And if that's not enough, he's taking me out Saturday night. But he won't tell me where.

So, I have to say, I do like Valentines Day this year.

Meeting John Edwards and Danny Glover

In the news business, we sometimes get opportunities that many wouldn't get otherwise. Yesterday, I got one of those special opportunities. Our reporter was scheduled to interview John Edwards at a campaign rally, but we had breaking news, so she couldn't go. My boss asked me if I wanted to go, and of course, I jumped on the opportunity.

While there, I got to hear him speak, then take part in a media availability. After that, I got to meet him and talk with him one-on-one. Actor Danny Glover was campaigning with him, so I also met him and interviewed him.

((I took this picture. i don't know who this kid is--but it's a great pic of Danny Glover))

Media Frenzy

I definately found my niche over the weekend. I got the rare opportunity to cover a presidential primary from the field--and it went off without a hitch.

I left for Columbia, South Carolina, Saturday at 2pm and didn't get back until 2am, but it was so much fun. My job was to field produce--that basically means it was my job to make sure everything we had planned for the day actually happened. We had three reporters and an anchor and four photographers, plus myself and one other field producer. I was running back between campaigns--I actually got to hear parts of Mike Huckabee, Fred THompson, and Ron Paul's speeches at the end of the night. And all of our stuff made deadline. It was flawless.

This pic was taken by one of our photographers at the event. It was crazy!

Next week is the Democratic primary here. I don't know if I will get to cover it or not, but I'm really hoping I get to!

My visit with Alex

My friend, Alex, came for a visit a week ago. It was the perfect day--just visiting and enjoying each other's company. He lives in Vancouver, Canada, now, so I don't get to see him very much.

We went to eat at Sticky Fingers. Then we walked around downtown--which included a visit to Reedy Falls Park. Then we got coffee and just talked a while.

Later, we went to the movies and saw Juno. It was great.

Sadly, after that, the day was over.

But I completely enjoyed the day.

Christmas Pictures

I told you about my Christmas at home--thought I'd post some pics.

Alvin(my step-dad) got a remote control helicopter for christmas. This is him outside playing with it, with all of us watching. Here, you see Kylie(my brother,tim's girlfriend), and Lisa(my sis).






here is my grandmother and me--christmas morning.









Here's Alvin, my mom, Lisa, and Lisa's husband, Jon, while we're opening presents on Christmas morning.










Here's Tim and Kylie.









And this pic is priceless. I told you about how my step-dad hurt his leg--this is the present he was wrapping when he stabbed himself in the leg--a present for my mom.

This was on Eric's blog. Thought I'd do it, too!

House Survey
1.) When you walk in your front door, which room do you enter?
living room
2.)Do you have a dishwasher?
Yes
3.) Is your living room carpeted or does it have hardwood floors?
it's carpeted
4.) Do you keep your kitchen knives on the counter or in a drawer?
Both
5.) House, apartment, duplex or trailer?
apartment
6.) How many bedrooms is it?
two
7.) Gas stove or electric?
electric
8.) Do you have a yard?
no, but i do have a balcony
9.) What size TV is in the living room?
i'm not sure. it's not huge, but it's not small either
10.) Are your plates in the same cupboard as your cups?
No
11.) Is there a coffee maker sitting on your kitchen counter?
Yes, but I never use it
13.) What room is your computer in?
the Guest Room
14.) Are there pictures hanging in your living room?
yes
15.) Are there any themes found in your home?
yes, my bedroom is all in lighthouses. and my bathroom is all pastels.
16.) What kind of laundry detergent do you use?
arm and hammer liquid
17.) Do you use dryer sheets?
no. i use the downy ball with fabric softener
18.) Do you have any curtains in your home?
Yes. But only in the living room. I made them! I am working on getting curtains for other rooms.
19.) What color is your fridge?
white
(20.) Is your house clean?
sometimes. But it's only really clean when I know I am having guests. So, call before you come! :)
21.) What room is the most neglected?
The Guest Room.
22.) Are the dishes in your sink/dishwasher clean or dirty?
dirty
23.) How long have you lived in your home?
in March it will be two years.
24.) Where did you live before?
in an aparment in pensacola, fl
25.) Do you have one of those fluffy toilet lid covers on your toilet?
yes--it's pastel purple!
26.) Do you have a scale anywhere in your house?
yes--in the bathroom
27.) How many mirrors are in your house?
four
28.) Look up. What do you see?
A white ceiling with a ceiling fan.
29.) Do you have a garage?
I wish I did for my beautiful mustang! But I'm not so lucky just yet.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Brrr! It is so cold!

take a look at this link. it's updated every minute--you can see the snow in western north carolina. http://www.cataloochee.com/webcam.html

they are getting 4-12 inches today. Here in Greenville area, it's flurried a bit, but nothing like that! I wish I had a fireplace to cozy up next to!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year, everyone. I spent the last few moments of 2007 watching the ball drop in times square! Yeah, it was really awesome! And no, I wasn't there in person :) GOtcha, didn't I.
I had to work, so I watched it on tv, then headed in to prepare for my newscast.

Christmas was really good. It was really great to be with the family during Christmas. That doesn't happen often with my job. We only had one major mishap--and it will leave you saying "only in Alabama!" My step-dad was wrapping a Christmas present with his pocket knife--yeah, he didn't want to get up to go and get the scissors--and he stabbed himself in the leg. So, he and I spent the afternoon of Christmas eve in the emergency room. He's going to be okay, thank goodness. But it was a really deep stab wound.

Well, it's time to head home for the first day of 2008. Wow. Another year is past. What are your New Year's resolutions? PLease share! Mine is pretty boring--I want to lose weight and get in shape. Isn't that what everyone says? WEll, this time I am really committed to it. I will be 30 at the end of this year, and I want more than anything to feel good about myself physically when I reach that milestone.

I have decided to put together a scrapbook of sorts about the town I grew up in. Gordo was my home for so many years, and things are changing. So, I went around town while I was home and took pictures of the Gordo I want to remember. And I am going to make a picture book all about it.

oh--good news! My friend, Alex, is visiting the South from Vancouver, CAnada. WE plan to spend the day together Saturday. I am so excited!

Have a wonderful New Year!