Look what I got!!

This is apparently the week of WONDERFUL surprises for me! After getting a whole new bathroom and having my kitchen finished earlier this week, this came in the mail for me yesterday:


I GOT A Wii!!!! AND, this was with it:


A Wii FIT TOO???

I am still in so much shock!! My aunt, uncle and cousin decided to bless me with this amazing gift!! I'm not much into video games at all, but have always enjoyed playing Wii at my friends' houses. I have wanted one for a while but knew I would probably never buy one for myself.
I still can't believe they bought one for me!! THIS IS SO AMAZING!!!

I have already hooked up the Wii and played some of the sports (for some reason I really like the tennis). I will try and Wii fit next week when I have more time to learn how to use everything. I'm kind of nervous about it, haha. Seriously, the last video game system I ever owned was a Sega Genesis. I have a lot to learn...

First, though, I need to get over the shock. I can't believe my family bought me a Wii!!!!!

Thanksgiving...and then a rant :)

This has been somewhat of a whirlwind on a holiday for me, with lots of traveling and I'm not quite finished yet. Still, the traveling so far has definitely been worth it and I have been so blessed to get to spend time with family members that I rarely see.

I arrived in North Carolina on Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. My parents picked me up at the airport and we immediately began the drive to South Boston, VA to spend the day with my brother and his fiance. My flight required me to be at the airport at 4 a.m., so I decided to just stay up all night the night before rather than risk oversleeping. This would have been a great plan were I able to rest as soon as I arrived in VA. Unfortunately, the hotel didn't allow us to check in until 2 p.m. so I was basically the walking dead for a few hours.

It actually wasn't too bad for the most part. In South Boston we got to check out my brother's personal training studio (that he OWNS!). That was sweet! He actually just moved to a bigger place because his business is going so well. To say that I am proud of him doesn't even begin to cut it.

After visiting his place, my parents and I went around and visited friends of my dad (he was the chief of police in South Boston before moving to Washington, NC). Finally, at 2 we were able to check into the hotel and I promptly went to sleep. My parents apparently went to dinner with my brother and his fiance (Suzanne), but I slept through all of it. Whoops! Its okay, though, because we spent all of Thursday together.

Thursday morning we all got up and drove to Roanoke, VA...about 3 or so hours away. There we went to my grandma's house and met up with my dad's 2 brothers for Thanksgiving. I can't remember the last time we were all together, its been years. We had SO MUCH FUN!! My grandma spends most of her time taking care of her mom (who is 96 years old), so we decided to take care of the food this year instead of asking her to cook. Unfortunately, since both of my dad's brothers are single that meant we didn't exactly get a home cooked meal. :) It didn't matter though, we all had so much fun together the company was most definitely worth it.

My dad and his brothers are all VERY different from one another, but are hilarious when they are all together. I loved hearing stories of all the trouble they got into as kids and really enjoyed hearing how my grandfather reacted to them (he passed away when I was 12). We have already made tentative plans to get together again at Christmas. I'm pretty sure this will be the first time we have all spent Thanksgiving AND Christmas together. I'm sure that this has something to do with the uncertainty surrounding my dad's cancer, but I'm just going to go with it. I really enjoy my family.


(My baby brother and his fiance, Suzanne. He's even bigger than he looks in this picture!)

(My dad...the one on the left...and his two brothers, Steve and Eddie. I have never known siblings to be more different, but I love them all!)

(This is the whole family. I am the only girl in this picture actually *born* into the family! I do have a cousin that isn't in the picture...a boy. Reed's don't have girls...except me!)

It had been over a year since I had seen my brother, so it was especially nice to spend time with him. We laugh a lot together and despite being very different in many ways, still have a blast when we are together. Hopefully by next Thanksgiving, he and his fiance will be married!

After many hours of laughter we decided to part ways and all headed home. My brother and Suzanne headed back to South Boston while my parents and I headed back to NC. It was a long drive (about 5 hours!), but we made it and were exhausted. The time change doesn't help either. Its so dark at 6 p.m. that you feel like its midnight! Anyway, the arrival in NC began my days of sleeping, eating and more sleeping.

And, that's basically what I have been doing for the past few days! I did get up early on Friday to do some Black Friday shopping, but didn't have to leave the house at all! In my research beforehand for the best deals I found that everything I was looking to buy was on sale on line with free shipping! So, I got up early, spend some time on the computer, bought everything I needed and then went back to sleep. It was great!!

Today I did venture out into the world, taking my usual trip to Greenville, NC. I usually spend the day there reading a book in Barnes and Noble and sipping on some Starbucks. (Greenville is the closest "city", Washington is a small town to say the least). This time, however, I went to a movie (by myself, which is such a fun experience!) and then spent some time in Barnes and Noble. Oh, and I usually have lunch at Sonic since I rarely get to eat there in Philly (the closet one is about 20 minutes away).

Now I am at my parents' house, packing to head to Georgia tomorrow for an AIM conference. I'm not too excited about it, although that has nothing to do with AIM. I'm still not in a very good place mentally, spiritually or emotionally, so being around people that I merely work with but know next to nothing about me or my life (and 97% of whom are men) is not exactly what I'm looking for right now. But, I do enjoy the people that I work with, and I enjoy my job, so hopefully this won't be nearly as bad as I think it will be. :)

I think I am definitely walking a fine line toward all out depression. Not wanting to get out of bed, not really caring about anything. That's kinda where I am. What it really boils down to is, I'm trying to reconcile my faith with the reality of my life. I know that's a very generic and I will give you more as I work it all out, but for now that's really the only explanation I have.

In some ways I am being shaken to the core of who I am, but what I am discovering is that I am, without a shadow of a doubt, redeemed. That I know for sure.

Here are some other random thoughts spinning in my head.

The realities of what it really means to live among the poor and oppressed in America are NOT discussed by Shane Claiborne. Living in Philly, on Potter Street nonetheless, has somehow connected me to this man yet I find no comfort, solace or camaraderie in his words. Does he really live in the same city I do?

What do I do with the mom that refuses to take care of her kids, yet also refuses to let me or anyone else help?

What do I do with the addict that is taken into people's homes and cared for yet continually chooses the street?

What do I do with the teens who have heard and KNOW the truth, but choose to turn away?

I do the only thing I know how to do, I turn to God, to the cross and I cry out. I find hope in the words of my Savior. I find emptiness in the words of Shane Claiborne, and Rob Bell and so many others...yet my generation is turning to them instead of Jesus.

How do I live in a nation that allows and defends the practice of murdering babies by the millions, and not speak out?

How do I watch children grow up with no knowledge or understanding of the truth of God and His plans for His people, and not teach them?

That's what I am being asked to do by so many "authentic" Christians. Don't speak about Jesus, be Jesus.

How can I be Jesus, yet be silent?

And the truth is, I don't know how to be Jesus!!!! How do you show the compassion of the man who let the woman caught in adultery go, but also the passion of the man who overturned tables in the temple? If Jesus came NOT to bring peace, but to bring a sword, what does that mean for me??

I am struggling because I can't keep quiet. I am struggling because I am not okay with teens turning away, with moms abandoning their kids, with my country ignoring its God. I'm not okay with it...

But I don't know what to do about it.

Its easy to write a book on theology and even use some experiences to make your point. But living out a life of surrender? That is HARD. And UGLY. And LONELY. At least, that's how it feels right now.

And it goes so much deeper than not watching TV or making your own clothes. Living a life of surrender means that you are literally NOTHING, and you know it. And you rejoice in that. Because you get that He is EVERYTHING. Even when the world is at its ugliest, when YOU are at your ugliest, you still understand that He is what its all about. Not the kids, not the teens, not you...HIM.

I still don't really understand what all of that means. What I do know, however, is that I want to know more. More about Him. Because honestly, I can resist the revolution...but I can't seem to resist Him (and believe me, I have tried!).

I'm 28!!!

Yay! Today I turn 28 years old, and I must say, this is my favorite age so far. I'm past the crazy preteen and teen years, and the ultra confusing early twenties. It feels pretty nice.

I have decided in honor of my 28 years in existence, I would tell you a little about the people that have made my entire life possible, my parents. I actually meant to do this on Mother's and Father's Day, but ran out of time. Still, I can't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than to celebrate the people who made me the person I am today.

The year that I was born my father was named officer of the year for his bravery (he had only been on the force for a few years) in saving a family from a burning building. Every little girl thinks that her father is a hero, and my dad being a police officer only magnified that perception in my mind. 28 years later, my father is still my hero.

Though my parents were divorced for part of my life, I don't have a single important memory that doesn't include my dad. He was at every major event in my life, from sports games, to birthdays and holidays. He has ALWAYS been there for me and my brother, through good times and bad.

When my parents remarried, the first year was rough for me and my dad. I was hitting the teenage years and not okay with any kind of authority in my life, yet my father showed me consistent love, discipline and structure. Thanks to him we quickly moved past that stage and have been great ever since.

My father has adored me from the moment he laid eyes on me, and the feeling in mutual.

My dad is a man of integrity like no other. In a time where police officers are constantly in the news for their wrongdoings, my dad's badge shines bright (as do his shoes and gun belt, he's kind of obsessive about his appearance in uniform, haha. He won't even let my mom iron his clothes). He stands up for what is right and will fight for justice, yet he is a man full of compassion. My dad is well respected and he ha earned that respect. He is hard working, diligent, intelligent and...well he's my hero. He's my daddy.

In the Christian world I hear A LOT about the "wounds" our fathers inflict on us. There is always talk of how our earthy fathers fail us and how we need to turn to God and not put our own father's mistakes on Him. I'm not trying to belittle that idea, but my dad does not fall into this category. My dad certainly isn't perfect, but when I look at him, I see Christ. He loves, adores, respects, cares for, and cherishes me...the same way my heavenly father does. He carries himself with dignity and honor and nothing bad can be said about him.

I can talk to my dad about anything. I don't think he knows what to do with me all the time because I talk a little too much, haha. Still, I don't know many daughters that call home and can talk to their dads just as long, and as openly, as they do their moms.

Its hard to believe that a woman exists that is worthy of my dad, but my mom most definitely is. In fact, I'm not 100% convinced my dad is worthy of her, haha, but he comes as close as anyone possibly could.

My mom is one of the smartest people I know, though she has no idea just how smart she is. If I can manage to be half the mom she is, my kids will be blessed. My mom always puts her family first and is a great care taker. She made sure I was always at school, always had my homework done, and she always had food on the table for us, even if that meant she didn't have any. She stayed up late helping me with projects, saved her pennies so my brother and I could go on field trips and despite being a single working mom, never missed a ball game, class recital or band concert.

My mom is gentle and kind...until you mess with her family. She stands beside my dad through thick and thin, and does the same for me and my brother. There is no greater encouragement in my life than my mom.

While I am most definitely daddy's girl, my mom always has been and always will be my best friend. I literally can (and do) talk to my mom about anything and everything. She has (and continues to) put up with SO much from me! If you only knew me as a child...

I can be totally myself with my mom, and she makes me feel like that's okay.

My mom is the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Her eyes glow and her laugh is contagious. There are so many characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman that describe my mom:

10:A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

11: Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

15: She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

17: She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

20: She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

23: Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

25: She is clothed with strength and dignity;she can laugh at the days to come.

26: She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27: She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28: Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

29: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.

30: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

I learned integrity and character from my dad. I learned strength and perseverance from my mom.

Together my parents make a pretty amazing team, which I why I believe the Lord worked so hard to bring them back together after over 8 years being divorced. My parents have the same sense of humor, and it has definitely been passed down to me and my brother, which is awesome. We laugh a lot as a family...both with and at one another.

Incidentally, I think pretty highly of my brother as well, but I'll have to talk about him some other time.

My parents have forgiven the unforgivable, loved me when I was unlovable, protected me when I didn't think I needed to be protected, cherished me despite my many faults and nurtured me through very difficult times; physically, emotionally and spiritually.

In high school when I had both my jaws broken (on purpose, it was a necessary surgery), my dad cried because he didn't like the idea of the pain I was in, and my mom stayed in the hospital with me 24/7 until I went home.

When I was in the hospital with malaria, my parents drove 8 hours through the night to be at my side in the hospital. It didn't matter to them that I was 23 years old...they wanted to take care of me.

I know how rare my parents are, and I thank God so much for the incredible blessing that they are. There are many ways that God could have chosen to make me into the woman of God that He created me to be, and He chose to give me 2 incredible teachers and mentors that I can (try to) model myself after.

I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for my parents, but they are so much more than that. I wouldn't be who I am without them. Everything that I am is God's grace on me through my parents.

Thank you Jesus for my parents.

I am an Introvert...

If there was any doubt before, today has confirmed it...I am an introvert. I love my family and have throughly enjoyed spending time with them, but today I got some much needed alone time and I am feeling very refreshed.

I have suspected this for a while. When I meet with Pastor Bill and he talks about how much he despised living alone when he was single, I can't relate. I have very much enjoyed living alone for the past 2 years. In fact, while I LOVE Jen and am enjoying her as my roommate, I sometimes long for the house to myself again, even if just for a day. (This is a big area of difference for me and Jen. She is at home alone right now while I am in NC, and it is apparently torture for her. It would be heaven for me).

I love my friends and family and enjoy time with them, but after weeks of ministry and working hard, I usually find myself longing for a day away from people...with no phone or any way for people to get in touch with me.

So, today I took some time alone and loved every second of it. My parents live about 30 minuted from Greenville, NC which has a ton of shops, as well as a Starbucks and a Sonic. So, I borrowed my dad's car (which is where he keeps one of his guns...almost left with that in the front seat...not a good idea) and headed to Greenville. I got a little lost on my way, but finally made it and spent about 4 hours in Barnes and Noble (I have a book addiction...just yesterday I ordered 5 new books on Amazon and then today I buy 3 more at B&N....). I browsed, read and drank some Starbucks. I also did some window shopping at a few other places before I went home. Nothing too exciting, but a great day for me. I actually would love to do it again tomorrow...we'll see if I can do it without offending my parents.

I did spend the evening with my parents, we enjoyed watching "The Great Debaters" together (great movie). Oh and the most exciting part of the day...

MY PARENTS GOT A HOUSE!!!! We went and looked at a house yesterday that we all immediately fell in love with (it is literally my dream house). They decided to put an offer on it right away, and today that offer was accepted!! We are all in shock! They have been looking for MONTHS, and even put in several offers on another house. All of those offers were rejected and my parents were getting VERY frustrated (they were not unreasonable offers, the owner was just crazy). I am pretty sure God was behind the whole thing, though, because the house they got is MUCH bigger, with a MUCH bigger yard (my mom loves yard work), in a GREAT neighborhood...and it was cheaper!!

I really love the house, and my parents are planning on this being the last house they ever live in. I can't wait to spend holidays there, its literally the PERFECT retreat from the city! (It even has a porch swing!). Now I just need to talk them into installing a pool...

In North Carolina

I made it to North Carolina yesterday and so far I'm having a GREAT time! I got here yesterday afternoon; my dad picked me up at the airport (I'm SO glad I flew instead of driving 8 hours alone!). My dad and I went to lunch together and had a really great time.

I didn't get much sleep the night before I left Philly (thanks to my procrastination in packing and the 4 kittens), so I took a nice nap once I got to my parents' house. Then, to my wonderful surprise, my aunt and uncle came to visit and we all went to dinner together. I haven't seen them in a while and they are 2 of my favorite people in the world...they have been incredible supporters and encouragers of me throughout my life, so it was awesome to see them.

Today I honestly didn't do much of anything, which was really nice. When I got up, no one was home, so I spent some good time alone (which I really enjoy nowadays). My mom came home around lunch and she and I went and looked at some houses that my parents are interested in and then ran a few errands. I set up wireless internet at their house (mostly so I can use my own computer rather than theirs, haha) and discovered that life without TiVo is full of a lot of bad TV. Other than that, I just relaxed and loved every second of it. I do plan on getting some work done while I'm here, but I still have 4 more days to do that. :)

Tomorrow my mom and I are going to look at a few more houses, and I want to head to Greenville (about 30 minutes away) to do a little shopping and reading (they have a Starbucks there!). I also WILL go for a run by the water, if its the last thing I do! :)

My phone has also been ringing constantly from kids and teens calling wondering when I will be back. Its nice to be missed...but I'm not answering the calls. :)

I Miss My Family

This is going to be a pretty short blog post, I have to clean my room, haha. Seriously, I do. I am rearranging it with some new furniture tomorrow, so tonight I must clean! I'm slowly but surely getting ready to have a roommate in May! I have lived by myself for over 2 years, so I need to make some room for someone else, finally.

Today I found myself really missing my family. Its always been a bit weird for me to live in Philly, so far away from my parents and my brother. I'm not hugely dependant on my family and have always been very independent. When I turned 18, I left home, went to college and really never turned back. I went on mission trips every spring break and while I did live at home every summer, it was really only to save money as I worked 3 jobs to pay for school. Still, I really like my family, enjoy being around them and I miss them when I don't get to see them. While I have no desire to move to be closer to them, I would have no problem with them moving closer to me. :)

Last semester (because I work with kids and teens I still go by the school year instead of the calendar year) I saw my parents every month. September is my usual trip home, I made a surprise trip to see my family in October, I was home for Thanksgiving in November and then Christmas in December. I haven't seen them since then. I know that isn't a lot of time (I have gone much longer without seeing them), but I still miss them. And actually, this year my brother and I didn't get to see each other at Christmas, so its been even longer since I have seen him. Did I mention that I miss them?!?

Hopefully I went get to NC to see them sometime in May...and I know they are trying to make a trip here sometime as well. In the meantime I will be missing them...of course, I can call them...

I'm still here!?!?

I can't believe its Saturday, and I still have 2 more FULL days in Virginia!! Usually I would be on my way back to Philly, or packing to leave early in the morning. I am so excited to get to stick around!!

The last few days have been pretty uneventful (which I LOVE!), which is part of the reason I haven't posted. The other part is that my parents have dial up Internet, and its about to drive me insane. :) I didn't have Internet at my house until about a year ago, but there is no turning back!!

Anyway, Thanksgiving Day was a really nice day. We went out to eat for the meal (there are only 5 of us) and ate a ton. The rest of the day we just spent time together talking and relaxing. Friday turned out to be just as relaxing with very little activity. Everyone in my family hates crowds and none of us are fond of shopping either, so the idea of going anywhere on Black Friday was not appealing to anyone. My dad and I did have a few errands to run, but neither CVS nor Lowes was very crowded. :) I did have some shopping to do, but all the sales I wanted to hit were still going on today, so I decided to wait.

Instead, over my first 2 days here I read 2 novels and started a third. I LOVE to read, so this has been a GREAT vacation for me! Today turned out to be the most eventful day thus far. I slept in (which I also love to do!) and got up in time for the Tech/UVA game. This is always a big game, as I have mentioned before, and we were not necessarily favored to win. Thankfully, WE DID WIN!!!! It was a really fun game to watch, especially with my family who loves Tech football as much as I do. GO HOKIES!!!

After the game my brother and I headed out for some shopping. The closest shopping to South Boston is an hour away, but we had a good time in the car. My brother and I have the exact same sense of humor, so we laugh together a lot. We ended up visiting several different stores looking for the best deal...but neither of us are impulse buyers, so we didn't buy anything. We both think we found what we are looking for, so we will keep an eye out for the best price (nothing was on an extreme sale). The one thing I am looking to buy ASAP is a treadmill. In fact, I found a good one at a good price, but I wasn't sure if I could get it back to Philly. So, I will wait until I get back to Philly and hope to find the same one at a good price there. (It was on sale, but not a Thanksgiving Day sale, so the store people were pretty sure I could find it just as easily in Philly). I am REALLY excited to get one! :)

I still can't believe I have 2 more full days here! My dad will head back to NC tomorrow, so it will just be me and my mom. I do have to work for AIM on Monday (provided I can find some wireless Internet somewhere in this town!) and I have some Kids Club things to get ready for (invitations to the Christmas party...which I just realized need to be handed out as soon as I get back on Tuesday!). None of that is really stressful though. I do miss everyone back in Philly, but I have definitely enjoyed the rest.

Busy...or boring?

It has been a VERY long time since I have written! Usually that means that I have either been very busy, or that I have nothing exciting going on. This time its a little of both. Other than the usual clubs and work I haven't had a whole lot going on.

I did head down to VA this weekend for a surprise visit with my family. I actually got the chance to surprise each of them individually and it was really fun. My mom was the only one home when I got there and it took a few seconds to register in her head who I was. The look on her face was priceless. :) Next came my dad who called to talk to my mom and I answered the phone. He thought he dialed the wrong number at first before realizing that I was in VA. I did the same thing to my brother, haha. Apparently I have a very recognizable voice since my dad and brother immediately knew it was me on the phone...they just weren't sure why I was there. :) My face is apparently less recognizable, however, since my mom didn't seem to know it was me when she first saw me. It was a fun day!

So, I spent the weekend hanging out and relaxing with the family. We did some work around the house...though honestly my mom did most of it. I did help open difficult windows and carry some heavy things after my dad left. We spent most of the weekend just hanging out, though, and it was nice. Of course, Saturday was filled with mostly football which is always fun. I had some great conversations with everyone and even got some alone time with my brother on our way to and from KFC...and then on our way back again when we realized they messed up our order. In all...a pretty boring but good weekend.

Now I am back in Philly and have hit the ground running. I have a lot of AIM work to do this week as well as my normal Cornerstone stuff. Plus, this Friday and Saturday we are taking a group of 25 teen and pre-teen girls (including Bonita and Linda!) to the Revolve Tour (basically Women of Faith for young women). I have invited all of them to spend the night at my house in Friday (since we have to be up and ready to go by 8 a.m. Saturday), which means I need to do A LOT of cleaning and rearranging of things in my house this week. I'm not sure it will all get done, but I am going to try!!!

Fun with my Cousin!

I had such a fun day off today!!! My cousin (I only have two, haha) came to visit for the day and we had a BLAST!! Actually, she got in last night (she lives in NY, so she took the train) and we stayed up for several hours talking. We are very good at talking, we take after our moms. :)

We planned on getting up and being ready to go by about 10, but we both accidentally slept in until about 10:30, whoops. It was probably a good thing, though, we both had pretty busy weeks and needed the sleep. Our original plan for the day was to go to brunch and then see the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute. Unfortunately, I didn't think to get tickets yesterday and they were sold out for the entire day today by the time we called. Its okay though, the tickets were $32 each, and I am okay with not spending that. So, we ended up going to brunch with some of my friends and had a really good time (and ate really good food!). From there we went to Center City to see the movie "Across the Universe". Its an art film that was only playing in one theater, and it was GREAT!! The theater was very cool too...you can get chai and coffee to take into the movie with you!

After the movie I drove her to the train station and she headed back to NY. It was a short trip but we got a lot of good time to talk and we both had a lot of fun. We have a good system of visiting one another every few months which is really fun. I visited her in April, she came to me in Sept. so I guess I need to plan another trip in January...which I am actually already doing (apparently that is when Broadway shows are the cheapest). She and I are only a year apart and pretty much grew up together (our moms are sisters and best friends). My mom, brother and I even lived in her house for a summer. She and I went to Tech together and even had some classes together (we were both business majors, though I was management and she was marketing). We are actually VERY different people (I love sports, she loves theater...my favorite group of all time is Boyz II Men, hers is REM), but we really enjoy one another and its always so refreshing to hang out.

I had hoped to come home and work on Kids Club a bit tonight, but I am still clueless about what to do. I did have a "duh" moment about all of this though, haha. I have been trying not to stress and coming up with all the ways to cover myself if I don't have anything for Tuesday and I realized that I have not taken any time to pray!! How stupid is that?!? I know God has something He wants to say to these kids, and whether He (or I) likes it or not, I am going to be the one to say it...so whatever it is, He needs to tell me! But, He can't tell me if I don't ask Him and then listen!!! So, that's what I am trying to do. He hasn't said anything yet, but I get the feeling He has been waiting for me to ask. :)

I should be at the laundromat right now, but I think I can wait a few more days before I have to re-wear things that I should not be re-wearing (i.e., you will smell me before you see me). So, I am going to watch some TV and then maybe get to bed at a decent hour!

I might be ready to move...

Okay, not really, but Washington, NC has come the closest to getting me out of Philly. I am in love with that town! (By the way, the picture is of my mom and dad)

I had a pretty good trip to NC, although it did require a lot of driving. I will be very excited (as will my mom and dad) when my parents' house sells in VA and my mom will move permanently to NC. That will hopefully happen before I visit again, sometime around Thanksgiving. Anyway, I really enjoyed my time with my family and I especially enjoyed the town of Washington. My dad's goal is to be the chief there for at least 10 years, so I am very much looking forward to visits home (and of course I love my parents!).

The only downer on the trip was the fact that I was sick the entire time. Well, that at the fact that Tech and the Eagles lost their respective games, but I'm over that. My dad was sick the whole time too, so we all spent most of our time inside resting, sleeping or coughing. We did make some trips out and had so much fun. Check out these pictures, they are of downtown Washington. These were taken literally a short walk (not drive, WALK) from my parents' house.

I mean seriously!! This is the kind of place where I would pay for a vacation!! I didn't get to the beach on this trip, but I will in the spring. You can take a short ferry ride straight from Washington to the Outerbanks for the day. How sweet is that?!?

I had hoped to go for a run along the river, but my illness prevented that. And God, in his wonderful mercy, also sent tropical storm Gabrielle to bring us some rain so I wouldn't feel so bad about being inside, haha.

I am back in Philly now, and feeling much better! I am leaving at 6:15 tomorrow morning to fly to Knoxville, TN for my training with AIM. On Thursday I will drive with my friend Sara to Asheville, NC (I think its about a 5 hour drive??) for AIM's staff conference. I don't really know what to expect but I always enjoy staff conference. It isn't a family focus at all, its really a time to decompress from the previous year and just fellowship with one another and with the Lord. I'm excited! I get back to Philly Saturday night and pretty much hit the ground running with Sunday School and Prayer Pals on Sunday and then I start working for AIM and preparing for the fall kick off at Cornerstone on Monday. The kids have already started school here...its so crazy!! This time last year Bonita and Linda were living with me, isn't that strange? Its amazing what can happen in a year...