Happy New Year!

2011...I can't believe it! Where did 2010 go!?! :o) I hope everyone had an amazing, safe, lovable, kissable, orgasmic night! haha. We laid low with Karla and her bf and had relaxing evening on the couch with a beverage in hand :o) The weather was absolutely gorgeous NYE & day...Matt and I actually laid out by the pool and caught up on reading and some r&r, it was beautiful! Yesterday we went to the dog beach and lunch with Karla before she headed home, and then we actually headed up to Tampa at night for the Lightning Hockey game with friends. It was awesome! So much fun to be back at a rink watching such a fast paced sport...I really enjoy hockey and hadn't been to a game since NY/West Point days. It was great to have some girl time and watch our gooberish guys become even more testosterone filled as they watched guys bashing each other, lol. You get the picture!

We went to church & brunch today with friends, and then went on a rampant cleaning spree of the house. It was long overdue...lol. I get a full body workout and absolutely exhausted from cleaning this place! Its ridiculous. I feel at peace now, but it is hard to know that tomorrow it will be as hairy as before. Oh the joys of owning pets! (cough cough Millie!)

Speaking of furbabies, if you guys could say a prayer for my gf Tara's baby, Mazzy, that would mean so much. Mazzy was hit by a car on New Years Eve and is miraculously on the mend but it has been a rough road for her, and her mommy and daddy. She suffered from major internal injuries that were thankfully fixed in the first surgery, and now she is undergoing surgery for her broken leg tomorrow :o( Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers :o)

We are about to start packing for our trip to Atlanta, of which I am sooo excited! I can not believe that the time is here for one of my best friends (actually, I feel like 2 of my best friends including her hubby!) to tie the knot! I can not wait to get back to the ATL and help her with the final details and just savor the moments :o) And also to see all my other friends that I have missed so much. It has been wonderful down here in our new home in FL, but a piece of my heart will forever be in Atlanta, and I always look forward to heading to the Dirtyyy!

i've got to go because I'm about to start balling as I watch the rest of ABC's Extreme Makeover...it never fails! lol. Love yall!

I'm baaaaccck!

So here I am again. Trying to do this blog thing. I *need* to write and vent. It has been killing me the past few months and I have been trying to figure out what is missing...and it is my creative outlet. But the reason I stop(ed) blogging is because I put too much pressure on myself (no way, are you serious?!?! not me, lol) to write everyday, write correctly, understand-ably, and all that bull-sh*t. And you know what? I can't do that! And I am even somewhat doing it now! i'm going un-capitalized, even though my literary correct self cringes, it allows me to free think :o) so booyah capitalization!!! hehehe. i just want a venue where i can write as little or as much as i want to those of you who truly understand who i am, mis amigas. the most used phrase(s) in my life besides I love you, is I miss you. I realized it as i sent my Merry Christmas text messages. I even sent i miss you to my girlfriends here in Sarasota, who live right down the road...yet i haven't seen them in the past couple weeks! the point being, so many of my soul sisters are not in close proximity to me, and its hard. its life, but its still hard :o) and i think about everyone on a daily basis, praying for you and wondering how you are, thinking of past memories, wondering about the future. i love my facebookness, but i need to share some more anecdotal evidence of my life, lol. i also need to vent as a cleanse.

so here goes my 204958th attempt from my last june post, lol. here goes nothing, here goes everything! no expectations, no pressure, no guilt, (does this sound familiar to us women?!)...just raw me. I also changed the title of the blog...since I've booted Matt out of the picture...lol. Not literally! just figuratively, boys often don't need to vent :o) Perhaps I will continue to change the title because that is the one thing in life you can count on, change :o) so i'm just going to go with it! But if you are wondering the jibberish written above, it is Latvian for "I love you. Love, me" I thought it was appropriate for how I am feeling right now. Love you all, xoxo

It's falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and rain
It's ringing in the skies
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays

You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I'm so unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great You are

Beautiful and free
Song of Galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the milky way
Lets join in with the sound
C'mon let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays

All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours forever amen

Cannons ~ Phil Wickham

I just finished reading the Bible...from when I started with the New Testament the summer of 2003. :o) How crazy is that? What is funny is that I read the entire New Testament that summer, so it has technically taken me 7 years to finish the Old Testament, lol. I could not believe it when I turned the page and saw, "The New Testament." God is good and always in His perfect timing :o)

xoxo

You're my peace

in the ATL and loving catching up with my incredible friends :o)
overwhelmed but extremely thankful
praying for Kaia and surgery tomorrow
praying for friends that need You right now, be with them and draw near to their spirits
our place is in shambles yet oddly i am at peace, i know it will be taken care of
it seems empty and lifeless without Omaha & Ducky.
frustrated with being a mediator/provider to strangers for stupid baseball tickets
saw 2 kitties on a walk today with Ashley...one had a mouse in its mouth, heehee
laughed and reminisced over yummy food at R Thomas with closest.
makes me miss memories and past moments
but i know that there are just better to come.
love my girl time :o)
business decisions tomorrow, yay
researching future flights, get-togethers, planning
excited about bible study on Wednesday night.
i feel close to God with I fly
yummy tres leches.
so proud of my beautiful, talented, witty friends. in all their different walks of life.
Overwhelmed with gratitude



Here in this Moment~ Beckah Shae

So here I am, ready to have all of you
So here I am, waiting for you

Oh, nothing can change the way I feel when I’m with you
You give me a peace that surpasses all understanding
And no one can tell me there’s a better place
Than with you, you give love everlasting

Oh, here you come (come) with arms open wide (come and fill me)
Oh, cuz you are the one (you are the one) who fulfills all my desires

chorus
You are Love, you are Life
You’re the air that I breathe, you’re my day and my night
You’re my Joy, you’re my Peace
You’re the wings for my flight and vision to my sight
You are Truth, you are Power
Gave me faith to believe, brought me straight to my knees
Now I’m standing here in this moment with you
There’s nowhere I’d rather be

Oh, there’s only one who can truly satisfy me
Only You can give me everything that I need
And as high as the heavens are above the earth
You show me your love so unconditionally

Oh, here you come (come) with arms open wide (come and fill me)
Oh, cuz you are the one (you are the one) who can fill me with this fire

chorus

There’s nothing that I can do without ya
I know life only because of your love
I just can’t breathe without ya, I’m so crazy about ya
And I know love only because of your life
Oh, you overwhelm me with your love (all your glory overflowing)
Oh, you overwhelm me, you overwhelm me, you overwhelm me, you overwhelm

xoxoxoxo

beautiful songs

These songs give me hope and redirect my thoughts to what truly matters, I hope you guys like them too :o)
Sometimes I will be having one of those days and a song will come on the radio...and I just want to break down. It lifts my heart to know that my *small* problems and anxieties are completely and lovingly taken care of by the One who created the world. How awesome! Love yall!

Big Enough~ Ayiesha Woods

You turned water into wine - how extraordinary
Gave sight to the blind - and still I carry
My own load when you told me
To take your yoke ‘cause yours is easy

And I don't wanna box you in
You've been doing big things since the world began
Sometimes I just don't wanna believe
That you're big enough - but you're big enough yeah!

I don't wanna box you in
You've been doing big things since the world began
Sometimes I just don't understand that you're big enough
But you're big enough Jesus

You turned darkness into light - keep my lamp burning
And you are my everything
There's no denying, your love is so amazing
And even though my problems seem typical
Nothing for you is ever too difficult
You never have reservations - love without limitations

And I don't wanna box you in
You've been doing big things since the world began
Sometimes I just don't wanna believe
That you're big enough - but you're big enough yeah!

Oh, no matter how I try to get around it - I'm reminded
Wherever I go I'm totally surrounded
It's all about you - I can never doubt you
Even if I wanted to…

And I don't wanna box you in
You've been doing big things since the world began
Sometimes I just don't wanna believe
That you're big enough - but you're big enough yeah!


Our God~ Chris Tomlin

Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
What could stand against.

i have my "friend"...yippee.

sometimes i jam out in my car to extreme r&b/rap and want to go to da club and get my groove on. (lol, Amelia)

i also really enjoy listening to the latin radio station, why, i don't know. but if you are bored check out the song, "me enamore de ti"

i wish i had enough time in the day to call/write/hug everyone that i love in my life.

i am trying not to be anxious and give up all of my worries to God.

:o)

Knowing that we are fulfilling God's purpose is the only thing that really gives rest to the restless human heart. ~Charles Colson

Has another month flown by!?!? I can not believe it. I need to get better at this blogging thing, I apologize you guys! I feel awful. :o( I am going to try and be better, I promise! I will try to recap (with my trusty planner) the major highlights of the past few weeks...

- Carli's Engagement Party in Miami was a blast! Had soo much fun and successfully wore coconut bra without any major mishaps, lol
- saw my dear friend Sam (our realtor in FL) down in Annapolis while she was visiting her hubby...lots of good shopping, food, and desserts.
- had a wonderful 24th birthday (eek!), despite coming down with a cold. My girlfriends here threw me a birthday dinner at a yummy tapas restaurant that conveniently had "Cupcakes & Cocktails" night...lol. It was so sweet of them to think of me :o)
- Matt and I moved into the new rental...thankfully! The Wieters were in town that weekend and were able to help us, which made things go more smoothly. The babies LOVE it...Millie has a huge carpeted basement to herself where she can run run run around. And the kitties have lots of windows and love overlooking the park behind us. Plus we have a fenced in small yard which helps with potty time...except that someone has taken a liking to eat their own poopoo!!! GAHHH!
- I drove down to G-Vegas for Kristen's graduation...got to see my second familia and party college style again with my bestie! It was a lot of fun but I was not able to go full throttle due to my looming cold...but I believe that this was a blessing in disguise because I actually did not suffer from a severe loss while visiting! I.E. losing phone, hitting a deer, getting a ticket, busting my leg, making a fool of myself, etc! So proud of Kristen and also Shelly & Amelia who graduated at the same time! Love my smart, sexy ladies!
- drove back to Baltimore to see Matt for 2 days, we got a tv, cable finally came...(we had no cable for 1.5 months, poor Matt! lol), found out from Josh that our townhome in Atlanta flooded (joy), got to see O's ladies at game for bible study & dinner, packed for SC, woke up at 3:45 to catch my 5:30 AM flight to Charleston. My awesome hubby drove me to airport and took over mommy duties for the next 5 days while I enjoyed the SC sun and beach with his family :o)

Now I can talk present tense! heehee. My time in Charleston was incredible. We had so much fun preparing for the wedding and hanging out at the beautiful event house on Folly Beach. Wednesday and Thursday nights were Bachelorette festivities, and I even got to see Lindsey while she was in town with her hot new beau! Friday night was the Rehearsal Dinner at Poogan's Porch downtown (adorable, historic restaurant...with amazing food!), and then Saturday we were pampered with a Bridesmaid Brunch and got our hair done before the ceremony at 6. We ran some last few minute errands and helped set up prior to the beautiful wedding. It was just picturesque! Prayers for good weather were fulfilled and everything went smoothly :o) Rebecca looked absolutely gorgeous. The most charismatic event of the evening was the crab 1 foot in between Rebecca & Matt that proceeded to come in and out of its hole periodically throughout the ceremony. It was hilarious...all of us were cracking up and hoping that it was not going to crawl up her dress! We tried to catch it as a pet for them...since it was as apart of their wedding as anyone. Sadly we weren't successful! But I hope someone got a picture!

The reception was a sheer blast. The music was pumping, drinks were flowing, and everyone had an amazing time! I cried during their first dance because they are just so in love. It flows out of them and is so inspiring. I am just so happy for them and they had such a perfect day to celebrate their love for on another. My mom and Kaia got to come and we had a groovy time dancing :o) It was surreal not having Matt there, I really missed him. I tried not to think about it but I think when we look back at the formal family pictures on the beach it will hit me harder. As I'm sure with his parents and Becca. :o( It was just one of those things!

I was so overwhelmed with gratitude and love for this family that has taken me in under their wings. I am so blessed to have an amazing immediate family and my beautiful cousins, aunts/uncles, and grandparents that I grew up with...but now I have an even more extended family that is so beautiful and special. I got to get to know Matt's cousins a lot more during my time there, and we had so much fun. They made me feel like I truly belong, and I am so thankful to have such incredible in-laws and supportive family members :o)

I got home on Sunday night and was so excited to see Matt and the kiddos. Today he had a signing event in the morning so I haven't seen much of him, but it is good to be home and get organized again. It was a rainy day but perfect for catching up on emails/laundry/cleaning/settling in. Matt will leave tomorrow night for a 2 day series in Texas...wah. But he will be back in DC this Friday (his birthday!). Along with my Shelly Belly who is visiting and I am so excited to see!!! And Courtney! Its going to be a fun weekend :o)

I am also looking forward to Carli's visit next weekend...she is coming last minute on her break from PA rotation, woop woop! I will write more soon (I promise :o)) Much love to all and I hope everyone had a wonderful Monday! xoxo