bachelor mondays.

It's back!! Or should I say he's back. Yes, Brad Womack...Mr. I-can't-make-a-decision-so-I-break-two-girls'-hearts-but-after-a-bunch-of-therapy-i'm-ready-for-a-second-chance.

Well, I can see his sincerity this time around. I really believe Brad is ready to fall in love. He seems like a great guy and one of these girls will be very lucky to have him. Now on to the good stuff, the girls.

This is the precious, precious Emily. She is your typical southern belle and a doll. She is my favorite. I think her and Brad would make an adorable couple. Emily is sweet, shy, kind, and beautiful. She also has a beautiful love story, that ya'll will have to hear about some other time.

This is Michelle. I've come to the conclusion that all girls named michelle that come on the bachelor are the crazies. Do y'all remember michelle from Jake's season... she was a crazy. Now Brad has his very own Michelle, and well she is crazy too. But here's the thing, he likes her!! He doesn't see her crazy side and none of the other girls will tell him about the real Michelle. She is obsessed with Brad...in a psycho way. She is one of his top picks right now, because around him she seems innocent...but she's the devil in disguise, literally.

Now that you know the best and the worst of the girls. What do you think? Are you a bachelor junkie too? Who's your favorite? Do you think Brad is really ready for love? I want to hear from all my bachelor girls out there.

Until next monday.

Memphis. The REAL Memphis.

I have lived in "Memphis" my whole life. It has always been a continuous joke with us that, "Yes, we live in memphis. No, we have never been shot." Now let me say, this probably shouldn't be joked about, because we don't live in the REAL memphis. Let me explain.

A friend and I were going to school the other day. We had just come back from shopping, and she was driving and knew a shortcut to the university. While I was riding along in the passenger seat, I began to look around at where we were. I didn't know the area. I knew we were still in memphis. I knew we were on the way back to school. But this wasn't the memphis I knew. This was the REAL memphis. The houses were run down, there were people walking the streets or waiting at the bus stop, there were bars on the gas station windows, and there was trash everywhere. That is when it hit me. I am so blessed to be able to have what I have. Why do I complain that I need a new car? My car may be older and have plenty of miles on it, but at least I have a car. My house may not be the biggest or in the newest neighborhood, but I feel safe here.

Seeing these conditions broke my heart. I wanted to hug the little old lady that sat on her front porch watching cars drive by. She was precious. And she was the REAL memphis. I wanted to offer the older man pushing a shopping cart full of unknowns a ride to where he needed to go. Because he was the REAL memphis. And the guy who did have a car that he was pushing it into the gas station. I wanted to give him gas money. He was the REAL memphis. And the twenty something people sitting at the bus stop right in front of the sonic (at noon) that didn't have a soul in the parking lot, I wish I could have ordered food for them. Because they were the REAL memphis. When we go to sonic, we complain because we can't find a spot. Every spot in this parking lot was empty at lunchtime, want to know why? Because that was the REAL memphis.


"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."--Mark 12:31

These people are my neighbors. They are our neighbors. The bible doesn't mean our literal neighbors in this verse. No. It means those that live amongst us. Those that live in our city, state, region, country. It speaks of the strangers we don't know. We should love them. Not just say we love them, but actually show our love to them. I want to love the REAL memphis. I want to show it. I want to work at the school that has it's windows broken out and the 2nd graders steal pencil sharpeners, because that's the REAL memphis. I want to be able to make a change in one of their lives. Because if I make a difference to one, I can make a difference. So do you know the REAL memphis? If not, do it. Find out the REAL part of your city or town. Make a difference. Love them. They are your neighbor. The REAL neighbor that needs love.

22 for 22.

“Every moment you get is a gift. Spend it on things that matter. Don’t spend it by dwelling on unhappy things.”

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday. YES, 22 is OLD (to me, anyways)!! I am so blessed with great family and great friends. I have a fabulous life and even though it has ups and downs, it is my life and I love it. I want to share 22 randoms in honor of me turning 22.

1. I was born and raised with southern roots. I plan on raising my children (future, future children) the same way.

2. I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.

3. Jesus is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?

4. I love sports!

5. Baseball is my favorite. By far!! St. Louis Cardinals is who you will hear me root for.

6. I love the SEC! all things southern, duh...

7. I REALLY believe Taylor Swift sings the stories of my life.

8. I hunt. Yes, I'm a girl and yes, I hunt. Big deal.

9. I am a Senior at the U of M. Go Tigers!! (this is my favorite basketball team...)

10. I am a future educator. See number two.

11. I already know what I want to name my kids (future, future kids. remember).

12. I have three little brothers.

13. I am a daddy's girl and momma's world.

14. I have an obsession with fingernail polish. And mountain dew.

15. I love movies. Old movies especially.

16. I'm the biggest hopeless romantic ever!!

17. I pray about my future spouse more than anything else.

18. I am a sucker for anything georgian. I would love to be a georgia peach!!

19. go pack go :) they will win the super bowl this year.

20. Jake Addison is my big baby. Nothing like a hyper chocolate lab to make your life more interesting.

21. I dream of owning a black Ranger Rover with white seats...on a teacher salary. ha!
22. forgive and forget. life goes on. this too shall pass. live for the moments that take your breath away. you only live once. love jesus. love life.

new year. new beginning. new me.

Well, it's here--the new year. it's 2011 and i want to say i hope 2011 will be one of many positive changes for me. Remember i said HOPE. Anyways, it's time to start making the goals and resolutions (even though they are most likely going to be thrown out the window within the first few months). This year I want to last all year keeping my goals and resolutionizing (i'm not sure if that's word). This year I have big plans, goals, and resolutions--I mean huge. They are life changing. So I want this year to be one of changes and I want them to really happen. So here is what I have in hopes for 2011.

• Lose weight. I know this is an every year resolution for most likely millions. I am a repeat offender for this one, but for once, I feel like I can do this. For once, I want, more like, have to do this. I have realized where I am at is unhealthy. That must change for myself. It's not about the looks or the size--it's about my health.
• Going along with the losing weight, I want to drink more water and exercise more. I feel I need to put this in it's own category, because I can lose weight unhealthy ways, but I don't want to do it. I want this to be a lifestyle change. Not just a goal to reach.
• "Read your Bible. Pray everyday, and you'll grow, grow, grow." My spiritual goal is to read my Bible everyday. This is something I must do in order to to grow spiritually. I am pretty good about praying everyday, but I want to continue this. And I want to pray more. Just not once a day, I want to "pray without ceasing."
• Graduate. This is a goal I am 99.9% sure will be fulfilled. I have the intent to graduate in December of 2011. I know, however, sometime things can happen and cause graduation to be put on hold. However, my goals is to graduate on my intended day.
• To help this graduation thing happen smoothly and for my benefit, I hope to make straight A's these last two semesters of college. I can do this. I know I can.
• Okay this last one is a bit long and more of a dream than a goal. It is also a bit humorous. Well, I would like to find a boyfriend, actually my husband. ha! Okay crazy, crazy, dream of mine since I was about 18 was to be married in 2011. Actually, November 11, 2011 (11-11-11) how cool right? Problem is I don't have a fiance' or boyfriend or even a prospect and with November being 11 months away, you can see this is why this goal is more of a dream or actually a fairytale. See my entire fairytale-like dream would be engaged on July 4, 2011 (7-4-11-->7+4=11). I know I am weird, but all these 11's make me think it's fate and perfection. Okay back to this dream, I can picture it perfectly. It's July 4th (duh, i just told you that), we (me and mr.perfect) are at a baseball game (i LOVE baseball) and it's the 7th inning stretch, they are singing take me out to the ball game. Then after the singing and cheering is done, they begin the "kissing cam" on the jumbotron screen. I am ooing and awing at all the precious couples and then here comes a red screen with hearts that says, "Will you marry me?" With my hopeless romantic self, I turn to mr. perfect (whoever he may be) to "awww" and say how precious and adorable and sentimental that is for a couple that are soon to be shown on the screen. secretly jealous and envious of this, I look to see mr. perfect down on one knee with a small blue box(tiffany's) in his hand. I begin to cry, and i say "YES!"(of course!) and that couple I was jealous of a few minutes ago on the screen is us. And the crowd is going wild and fireworks begin to shoot (because it is july 4th) and we kiss. Okay, now you can laugh, I warned you it was a bit(okay a lot) humorous. But this was/is my dream for 2011. So in seven months on july 4th, i'll be sure to update you on how this really didn't happen, but it was still magical to think about. haha.

Well these are my goals (and crazy fantasies) for 2011. How about you?? What are your goals for this new year?? Or do you have any crazy fairytale stories you want to share?? Feel free to!! I don't want to think I am the only crazy one out there. ha!