a trip down {CBS} memory lane {1.31.13}

The homeschool kiddos played the 'egg race' today....basically, we write out a word from their memory verse on a slip of paper and stick it in a plastic egg. They take turns running to get the eggs and after they've collected them all, it's a team effort to put them in the right order.

 It was a game I used to play when I was in CBS way back when and the homeschool class probably hasn't played it since. Watching this batch of homeschoolers play my favorite CBS game was so sweet. They enjoyed it every bit as much as my homeschool class did, and hopefully the class after this year's will ask to play it and the tradition will keep on going.

Happy Thursday, readers.

sunshine-y day

Remember the ice storm we had not 5 days ago?

Nah, neither do I.

Why? Just look at those pictures below...

{my IG captions}

left: no big deal...just spent the afternoon doing schoolwork by the pool and 

reading City of Bones on the rooftop right outside my window. Perks of living in a 100 yr old house.

#lovedtheweathertoday #caneveryJanuarydaybelikethis? #pleaseandthankyou

right: finally captured one of those "sunburst behind the head" selfies. I feel like a legit Instagrammer now. #nailedit

ICE STORM?! What ice storm?! It was 70 degrees today, thus the barefeet and cuffed jeans. I spent the day outside whenever possible, opening windows all over the house, and even doing a little spring cleaning. Spring, COME SOON. Preferably before the weekend so we can avoid the sub freezing temperatures again. Kthanksbye.

Happy Tuesday readers!

open mic night @ the Coffee Shack {1.28.12}

These friends of mine are going to be those friends that stay with you. Kaley's already proven that...we've been friends since 5. Her and Conner have been tight for a couple years now, and through her I've gained a great brother in Christ. We even live relatively near each other, so I see him coming over for tons of pool days this summer. And Rachel. Oh Rachel. We bonded over the same EVERYTHING (preferences, viewpoints, and song choices) camp week and we've remained soulmates ever since. She and Conner are god-siblings for pete's sake, so they are super close. We're just one big, happy WOL family and I love all these people to death!

L to R:  Conner, Kaley, me, and Rachel

Best friends!

Best friends help each other on Logo Quiz while waiting for Open Mic. 

Even our feet are best friends. 

Speaking of best friends, let me brag about my Rachel. She would do anything for me and I'd do the same for her (even though I probably don't let her know that). If a day goes by where we don't talk, somethings up and we frantically text each other. We can barely go a week without seeing each other, and go on dates just about that often. I pour my heart out to her and she makes me smile through the tears. She's the sister I never had, my soulmate. I already said that didn't I? I just love her so flippin' much!

Self timer for the win!

I braid her hair whenever we're together since I can't do it on mine. 

She is so gorgeous I can't even handle it! 

Basically us.

Oh yeah, and there was singing. I mean, duh. It was Open Mic Night. Conner was AWESOME.

No better way to spend a Monday night than at your favorite coffee shop with your favorite friends. Am I right?! Yes. Yes I am. 

happy birthday Kaley!

The picture from TI Night I framed for her birthday present...the best picture of us EVER.

I love you so much, sweet friend! You have stuck with me through my shy (that's an understatement) phase, my bookworm and glasses phase, and so much more. You know things about me that no one else does simply because we go way back. Weren't we JUST in our church's childrens Christmas preformance and dreaming about the day when we were old enough to help decorate it?! Yep, pretty sure it was yesterday. But then again it wasn't because you turned 18 on Thursday! Say what?!

Even though we don't talk every day or hang out nearly as often as we should, we pick up right where we left off. You are an amazing young woman of God and never fail to bring me back to God in our heart to hearts. I so admire that about you...just as much as I admire your purple room, awesome sense of style, and your obsession with monkeys. I love you Kaley Michelle!

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This girl knows how to have a party. She threw a great one on Saturday night. It involved burgers (I was stoked about that fact alone...BEEF) & smores, a flippin' AWESOME bonfire, and glowsticks. And there may or may not have been a Just Dance battle and I may or may not have shaken my little bootay. You had to be there.

Blurry, yes. But IT WAS SO COOL.

FIREEE. Nothing is better than a roaring bonfire, amen? Amen.

The birthday girl herself (with her awesome new Canon T3)! <3 

HIS HAIR.

Jack's method to not burn his face off was to wrap a scarf around his head. Silly head.

Singing around the campfire. LOVE.

Back inside for food & plenty of glowstick fun. 

What a stud. He rocked those glowsticks.

There are plenty of other non-blog worthy (aka so blurry you can't really tell who is in them) photos from the night, but not nearly enough of them because my battery died. But that was OK, I have plenty of blackmail photos on my good ol' phone. My camera battery dying was actually a good thing because I able to goof off and be a teenager, unlike most days.

Thanks for the great time, Kaley-girl!

snow {1.25.13}

 True to ENC's nature, we've had quite the winter. Wearing shorts and a t-shirt one week, and temps dipping into the teens the next. This was no exception. IT SNOWED TODAY. My NC upbringing has trained me to freak out a little bit about that. We just don't see snow around here!

Really, it was barely a dusting and I wasn't even able to get true pictures of it because wouldn't ya know it happened on at work. On a Friday, during lunch rush. We were slammed cause of the early release for the winter weather so we ran out of chicken. Stressful, because we got behind, but awesome because we got a break to watch the flakes stick to the cars.

As soon I got home, I ran outside to take pictures of before it was covered in ice. Well, what was left of it.

My little ol' station wagon was covered.

Yep, this snowfall needed THIS many pictures of it. Cause again, we don't see snow. I can count on both hands how many times I've seen snow since I was born. It's enough to get me dreaming about the winter wonderland that some people get to live in.

Then reality kicks in and it freezes over and makes it dangerous to drive to work, like I have to do tomorrow. So the snow loses its charm and I just wish it was all gone and my tan was back. SUMMER FOREVER BABY.

Happy semi-snow day, readers! Did you get any summer in your area?

cbs {1.24.13}

We have those kind of days at CBS. You might not think that, but we do. Poopy diaper explosions, not enough crackers, the craft requires a different kind of glue, and kids are just being kids. 

Today wasn't one of those days.

It was one of those calm, no crying kids. The kind of day where we had time to do things, clean things, and just catch up. I finally took pictures of each class and those kids love the camera...and I love taking pictures of them loving on the camera and each other. 

Sweet little feet running around praising the Lord in music time. LOVE.

I'm so thankful for those kind of CBS days; they are few and far between and they won't be many more.

Happy Thursday, readers.

almost wordless wednesday {me & my friends}

When I step behind the camera to be in a picture with you, you've gotta know one thing: it's because I love you very much to take my picture with you. I'd much rather be behind the camera, oooh and ahhh-ing over YOUR gorgeous, then being awkward and messing up the picture. And if you're the one I gave my camera too, dang I trust you a lot with my baby.

So apparently, I love my tall, dark, and handsome little brother Clark, Gracie-girl, and my soulmate Rachie VERY much cause I let Jack steal my camera to take pictures of us.

We're not related. We look nothing alike. We don't love each other the least bit. HAHAHA.

This beautiful girl whom I don't get to see NEARLY often enough.

Apparently, I love Rachel a lot...Jack took way more than three pictures of us but most of them are of us a0 staring into each others eyes and sharing secret best friend looks or b) me laughing cause I did something silly.

Basically us...Rachel being kick-butt and fierce and me being a goofball. 

So there ya go. Actual pictures of me on MY blog. Craziness, right? Don't worry, things will go back to normal and I'll start posting OTHER peoples pictures on here soon.