Thankful

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I was able to spend the day with family and hear from a lot of friends. Besides being Thanksgiving, yesterday was also my birthday. I think that this was only the third time that they have fallen on the same day but it always makes for a better day when I am surrounded by my loving family. I share my birthday with one of my best friends growing up and I'm excited about getting to spend some time with her today. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for the other side of my family so I will be stuffed once again. Here's a small list of what I am thankful for this year.

GOD

FAMILY

FRIENDS

IMPROVING HEALTH

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

A HOME THAT IS FILLED WITH LOVE

MY CHURCH FAMILIES

A JOB

TIME

May you all be blessed through this holiday season and remember what you are thankful for.

Pictures as Promised

Garth Brooks = AMAZING!!!

Last Sunday was the best day of my life.  My brother and I went to the Garth Brooks concert in Kansas City and it was absolutely unbelievable.  We were about 30 feet from the stage and at eye level.  I was lucky enough to buy tickets at face value the day they went on sale but the people around us were not so lucky.  The couple next to us paid $700 per ticket plus they flew in from Canada.  The lady in front of us didn't say how much she paid but she was from California and had tickets to 4 different shows that week.  Trisha Yearwood opened for Garth and she was better than I expected.  She only sang 5 songs and then there was a half hour break while they changed the stage.  Once he came out the place went crazy.  He sang for two and a half hours but the last half hour was just him and his guitar playing acoustically.  At one point he looked toward where we were sitting and I pointed at him and waved and he waved back.  Later on he pointed at my brother and I think that it's safe to say that we were on cloud nine, or maybe ninety.  I'll upload the pictures next week.  Stay tuned!!

Ahhh ... Christmas!

I absolutely love Christmas! I love lights, I love trees, I love shopping, I love wrapping presents, I love cooking, but mainly I love being with family. Today my cousin and I put up the Christmas tree at my grandmas house. I know it seems early but I usually put up my tree on November 1st so I'm actually more than a week behind. It just makes me happy to look at Christmas trees. This time of year when I go shopping I always browse through the holiday section because it puts me in a good mood. Some people feel that this means that I am skipping Thanksgiving. I feel that being so happy about Christmas gives me something to be thankful for. This means that it is also time to break out the Christmas music.

Speaking of music, my brother and I are going to the Garth Brooks concert tomorrow in Kansas City. This is my birthday present from my parents and it will definitely be the best birthday present ever. (My Kitchen Aid mixer runs a very close second!)

I hope that you all have as great of a weekend as I have had/will have.

Fun, Friends, and Fall

Homecoming was wonderful. It was so nice to be back on campus and get to see friends that I haven't seen in years. It was a relaxing weekend but packed full of fun. On Friday my brother and I went on a small hike to see the trees changing down by the river. Then I went over to the house of some of my greatest friends in Searcy and had dinner with them and their children who I only wish that I could claim as my own. After that we headed to the volleyball game for senior night which was packed. As expected, they won and it was a good game. On Saturday I went to see a lifelong friend and her husband in their new house. We wrapped Christmas boxes for church and ate breakfast. Then came the football game. After standing on the sidelines of games for years, I refused to sit in the stands. The conference has become a lot more strict since I left about how many people can be on the sidelines so I borrowed a Sports Medicine shirt and got my way. The game was an exciting one but I'll let you read about it here. We eventually won in thriller and that made my whole weekend. After the game I went to dinner with some friends and then we just hung out and talked for a few hours. Once I finally got back to the place I was staying it was time for the Razorbacks game which lasted until bedtime. Sunday I went to church with my brother and his family-to-be. After church I ate lunch and then got on the road back home. All-in-all it was a great trip and definitely the best one I have had in a long time, mainly because this one didn't involve any doctors visits or funerals. Below is a sampling of the pictures that I took of the changing leaves. I didn't take any of the football game because as a member of the sports medicine team, we don't have cameras on the sidelines ;).

This is on the drive down Highway 65 somewhere near Harrison, Arkansas

This has always been my favorite spot on the drive. About 9 miles north of Marshall you are driving through the woods and hills and then you come around a corner to this clearing and the barn. A few years ago this was a really run-down barn with a small shack beside it and the field was all grown over, which was breathtakingly beautiful. Recently someone has bought the land, refurbished the barn, torn down the shack, and cut down the field. It's still beautiful but now it's just a little cleaner. The picture is a little dark but you get the idea.

This was taken on my hike with my brother just outside of Searcy. When I was in school this place was referred to as 'B Rock' but my brother didn't know anything about it so maybe the new kids aren't as adventurous as we once were.

This is just south of Marshall. As you can see, it's definitely the prettiest town on the drive (and the most accessible for stopping to take pictures). This is an actual overlook off the highway that I stop at on a regular basis during my drives because no matter what the season, it is a beautiful view.

I hope that you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed the real thing! God bless!