Home

Today's Easter, and I just drove back to my apartment in Tuscaloosa from my parent's house in Gordo. I heard "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert on the way home and it made me think. I used to hate that place, and now I go back every chance I get. It's funny how life and growing up does that to you. I always get this pain of loneliness and almost guilt when I'm driving back to Tuscaloosa. 

In high school all I wanted to do was leave, all I wanted to do was get the heck out of that town and never come back. Now all I want to do is go back, buy a little house, teach kindergarten and plant a garden. Is it that I'll always be dissatisfied with what I have or that I've experienced living in a dorm with 400 other girls within earshot and I just want some space. Yeah, I think that's it. 

My favorite lyrics of the song are: "I thought if I could touch this place or feel it/ The brokenness inside me might start healing/ Out here it's like I'm someone else/ I thought that maybe I could find myself..."

I'm not going to lie. It's been a really really rough past year. Things are slowly looking up, but it makes me wonder if the reason thing's haven't been going to great is because I'm too far from home. 

We're still celebrating!

Tonight Ben and I are going to Birmingham to have an official celebration for his birthday! We're going to eat at this really cool gourmet burger place called Flip and we're going to see How To Train Your Dragon.. which I've heard is super cute.
His one request was that we stop by Shaper Image to play with all the gadgets. What a man!

Here are some pictures from his birthday party at church..

His sweet mom Gail made this really cool cake, and I bought him that really cool t-shirt. 

(And just look at that cute face!)

We're best buddies.

Welcome, April!

Boy oh boy I'm so excited for this month! April brings brand new beginnings and a close to some things I'd rather not have going on.

1. This semester is FINALLY coming to a close!
If I had to sit through Women's Studies on Tuesday for too much longer I would gouge my eyes out.

2. Today actually marks TEN YEARS since I accepted Christ as my Savior!
I find this absolutely amazing, but it also saddens me to see the years I've wasted not walking closer with the Lord. I'm so thankful I'm in a good relationship, I'm surrounded by encouraging friends and have an arsenal of people praying for me on a daily basis.


3. I'm starting a new job!
As soon as I get my finger prints done, I can start subbing at the pre-school, and I will officially begin this summer! Talk about an answered prayer! NO MORE WEEKENDS!

4. We're getting oh-so-close to Aisley Brook! 
Ben will be receiving a sweet baby niece in May and I plan on maxing out my credit cards on adorable quirky baby junk until she gets here!

5. Awana Begins!
Ben and I are helping with the Truth and Training class at our church and we are so excited. I can't wait to see how God is going to move.

6. My sister is getting married!
How exciting is that?! It's going to be a beautiful, fun (and yummy! Fig is catering) wedding and I am so happy for her and Drake.

I can't wait to spend this Easter Sunday with my family to kick this month off right!

Birthday Bonanza!

Two of my favorite people are celebrating birthdays this week! 

This lovely lady is celebrating her 21st! 

And this goofy guy is celebrating his 22nd! 

Obsessions of The Week

So at this particular moment in time I'm kind of obsessed with..

This skirt from here

This girl- what a cutie!

This adorable Fossil purse

And this boy!

...who has stolen my heart :)

Ebb & Flow

Every (ok, almost every) morning since January 1, 2010 I've done what I like to call a "creative devotional" out  of this book..

There are daily lessons that try to get you to see your life in a more creative, happier way. At the beginning of every month, it allows you to point out things you need to let "ebb" (see at least 5% less of) and "flow" (see at least 5% more of) in your life. So as a precursor to the lovely month of April, I am going to make the decisions of what will really benefit me to ebb and flow in my life. 

Ebb

Sleep: I'd love to be one of those people who can do more before 8 AM then most people do all day, so I'm going to try to get in the habit of waking by 7 every morning! (Remind me to buy that Dunkin Donuts Turbo coffee.)

False Sugars: I know it sounds cliche, but false sugars like high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, Splenda and others wreak havoc on your body and take up to three times as much energy to break down as sugar does. So I'm going to make an effort to stay away from Cokes, etc. 

Flow 

Prayer: I focused on this in the month of March and I feel closer and more in tune with God than I have in years. I'm excited to see the new ways He will let me incorporate prayer into my daily routine and the doors that will open up to glorify Him through me and the people around me. 

Vegetables: I have no problem getting my recommended servings of fruits, but vegetables are a challenge- mostly because you have to cook them. I'm going to research easier ways to get more vegetables in my diet. (I want a juicer SO BAD!) If anybody wants to buy me this Jack Lalanne juicer, feel free.. 

Ey! I'm walkin' here!

Sometimes if I'm hanging up clothes or something my laptop will go to my screensaver- which is just a slide show of random photos. Occasionally some of my pictures from my New York trips will pop up and I reminisce about my times in the Big Apple.. oh how I long for it..

Grand Central Station

I actually had some of the best chili I've ever had (besides my dad's, of course) In Grand Central

 

What an amazing, awe-inspiring city

And I'm not going to lie- my photography's pretty awesome, too. 

What's your favorite city?

On A More Serious Note..

I seem to have to constantly defend myself and my beliefs in my environment today. Granted, this is a strained political time and there are so many touchy subjects, but I seem to get over emotional while in debate about my beliefs, so I think I'll just make a list for all those who care and they can just reference this and pick me apart then. Enjoy.

I will not preach fear to the future generation. 
I will not be a negative "this world is going to hell!" person. I see great things being done in Christ's name all around us. My children will not grow up with a mentality of wishing the world was a different place. I do understand that Christians will be persecuted, but I will teach my children that persecution is nothing to fear if you have Christ in your heart. I choose to think positively about our world and government.
There is no reason to live your life shivering in your boots, afraid of what might come to be.


I believe that programs such as welfare and universal healthcare DO benefit people!
Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: people will and do take advantage of them. A wise man once told me that it doesn't matter what you do, some people will take advantage of "the system" in one way or another.  My point is: there are needy children, families that work as hard as they can and don't even make enough to stay above the poverty line, and elderly that NEED these programs. If ONE family can benefit, I will gladly give more of my taxes to allow this to happen. If it bothers you that much that a select group of people take advantage of the system and you feel like you're being cheated out of your tax dollars- use your profession, your attitude, your church and your character to actually help change it. AND QUIT COMPLAINING!

I believe in separation of church and state. 
If you push something in someone's face, eventually they will turn away from it. I believe it is our jobs as Christians to spread God's word- not the government's. (Think about it- a majority of the people in government aren't actually Christians- why in the world would we want them representing us?!) I don't know about you, but I don't have to have a prayer over the intercom each morning to maintain my relationship with Christ. I feel like God actually spends a good amount of time laughing about this because most Christians spend more time complaining about this subject then they do in prayer. My God is bigger than any government, and I believe building government upon only Christian beliefs (although it may seem great to us) only makes people of different faiths turn a deaf ear to what we as Christians are saying.

Baby (name) Fever!

Since about 367 people that I know have announced they will be having babies, just had a baby or are trying to have a baby, I've been thinking alot about baby names. (Calm down, Mom, it's just names). 

Family names are so very important to me, and I love to research who-was-named-what-after-whom and so on.  So I've complied my list of Top 3 Baby Names which I have tweaked since I was about 5 or so. 

1. Charles (Charlie) Schroeder 

Charlie after my beloved, intellectual Grandpa from my mother's side, and Schroeder from Peanuts (you       know, the one that played the piano that Lucy swooned over) My Grandpa always said that Schroeder was his favorite Peanuts character and I have followed suit. 

2. Clara Azalea 

Clara is my Great-Great Grandmother's name on my Dad's side. I think it's adorable for a little girl. Azalea was my Aunt Dorothy's middle name, she was an amazing interesting woman, she even sang and played the guitar in Luckenbach, Texas! 

3. Mary-Rachel

Ok, so I'm kind of lukewarm on this one. I want a double-name with Rachel in it because of the numerous Rachel's in my life: my sister Rachel, Ben's sister Rachel, my roommate Rachel, one of my best friends in high school Rachel, and an adorable Rachel that's in our college group. I would use Mary because of my Aunt Mary Frances who is the closest thing to Aunt B you'll ever see in real life. But I don't know- do you think it "flows" correctly?

My lovely sister Rachel and I!

Hello again, friend.

So ALOT of changes have happened since my last post. I can honestly say they've all been good.

New Hair

A new way of eating... 

New Buddies 

(Of course I still love my old ones!)

A new habit

A new major!

And a new beau ;) 

(He's amazing, if I might add)

All of these changes have required some adjustment and, at times, some comfortability. I'll keep you updated on how it goes. 

Love, 

H