happy new years eve!

beautiful morning at the beach cheering on the dawgs and getting ready for a great night! klug, i found us in other people's bodies. have a wonderful new years everyone!!

headed to the crystal coast tomorrow. could not be more thrilled! ah i can't wait to see the ocean. couldn't think of a more perfect place to ring in the new year.

ain't love grand?

(images via: under a paper moon, jcrewing, lillies and sparrows)

this is exactly how i felt yesterday morning. snow day!! i was like an antsy little kid frantically waiting to get out of the house into the winter wonderland around me.

(images via: lillies and sparrows)

this post was intended for yesterday but our internet was down so here we go...

last night it started snowing around seven. what a wonderful christmas present! i came back from jack's after watching toy story 3 (such a cute movie, i of course cried and would definitely recommend it) around one and the snow was pouring. it was an absolutely beautiful end to a beautiful day. when i got out of the car at home, it was so quite and peaceful and the snow was falling all around me. i just had to pause for a moment and breathe in this great place. smiling walking down the driveway, and catching a few snow flakes on my tongue of course. taking it all in. i'm thankful for everything God has blessed me with and little moments like that, and mostly for the most important gift of his son sent to save me.

goodmorning. and merry christmas to all!!

oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

(images via: madame cupcake, lillies and sparrows)

fall on your knees

oh hear the angels voices

oh night divine

oh night when Christ was born

oh night divine

merry christmas eve!!

got some last minute wrapping to do after dinner and then the family is watching the nativity story.

joy to the world the Lord is come!

let earth receive her King

let every heart prepare Him room

and heaven and nature sing

joy to the world the Savior reigns!

let men their songs employ

while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

repeat the sounding JOY, repeat the sounding JOY

He rules the world with TRUTH and GRACE

and makes the nations prove

the glories of His righteousness

and wonders of His LOVE

what a neat christmas video!

A Starry Night from Torchbox on Vimeo.

love this. the reason for the season.

times running out...

.... i gotta watch the holiday. gosh jude law is so great looking.

merry christmas eve eve!!

(images via: everything winter)

"more important than breakfast

is waking up next to someone

and have them gently touch your face

without you even asking."

-dallas clayton

(image via: that kind of woman)

found these gems the other day. so classic christmas. love 'em!

(images via: wide open spaces)

ahh only 3 days til Christmas! let the parties, and dinners, and wrapping/unwrapping begin.

(images via: everything winter, everything fabulous)

my good friend virginia who is involved with young life at state shared a blog, don't waste your cancer, with me. i started reading it the other night and found this excerpt to be particularly moving:

"it helps to know people love you and are praying for you. especially people you do not know at all. this is what community in christ looks like... people love each other. in an authentic and genuine way. i am thankful to be in the family of christ."

yesterday in raleigh i attended the "race for chase: a run to walk." this was an event set up for a friend, former broughton cross country runner, chase mann. this summer he was in a diving accident during a mission trip and was paralyzed from his shoulders down. i can't even begin to imagine this feeling. about to start college at the university of south carolina, headed towards freedom and then in an instant loosing total control. he's now in a wheel chair that moves by him blowing into a device. chase has been in the prayers of so many for so long, and he's been attending clinics in california and charlotte. i'm not up to date on anything much that's going on except i do know that he is getting some movement in his arms, and shoulders which is so so amazing. it's strange how God works, why do people have to be given such horrible event in their lives. questions only he knows the answers to. but yesterday out at the SAS soccer center the support from this community was absolutelyastounding. they had about 1,000 people signed up for either the run or walk, and more in volunteers and supporters. they definitely raised a lot of money which is so great. seeing everyone come together like that made me so thankful for the wonderful people i am surrounded by and for this great community that i come from. and for chase to watch all these people out there, running for him, taking part in what was such a passion for him must be so hard but maybe great at the same time, to see how many people love him and are behind him. it just breaks my heart. it really makes you take a step back and think about how precious every day is, and how blessed i am to be living such a wonderful life.

here's a picture my sister took of chase and some of the guys at a cross country meet earlier this year. if you're reading this, please keep chase and his family in your prayers....

these photos just make me feel cozy and warm.

(images via: lovey ness, madame cupcake, pink wallpaper)

one week til Christmas! time to get down to business.

(images via: mary ruffle, so very pretty)

my friend libby just blogged this. ahhhhh, i'm in love. perfect j.crew model. no matter what age mcdreamy is always sexy.

i just watched beyonce's "i am... world tour" on abc.com, i am speechless right now. she may have just surpassed reba as my all time favorite singer. she is the ultimate, but really. her voice is unbeatable, she has a rockin body, she's gorgeous, married to the coolest man in the world and can dance like no one else, did i mention she's beautiful and so is her voice? basically a badass, but better. next concert, i'll be there.

it snowed last night! waking up and seeing the white roofs out of my window was wonderful. and i could hear the little neighbors running around and yelling, it was great waking up with a big smile on my face. today i'm loving these things, and this quote. the first sweater is also my dream sweater, wish i had it on right now. loving this lazy day as well, notice all my blog posts. headed to get some starbucks hot chocolate very soon. happy snow day from rtown everyone!!

(images via: everything winter, everything fabulous)

JOY.

(images via: just be splendid, everything fabulous)

i found my little daily inspiration book on my side table last night, it's "grace for the moment" by max lucado and has a lot to do with getting me through last year. i found it in a run down thrift store right outside of athens, when we went looking for a door for a friend to paint. it's a small daily reminder of God's love that somehow always seemed to be telling me exactly what i needed to hear that day.

the inspiration for today is entitled words of promise:

"God has given a son to us... His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God... Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6

if our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. if our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. if our greatest need has been money, God would have sent us an economoist. but, since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.

he became like us so we could become like him

angles still sing and the star still beckons

He loves each one of us like there was only one of us to love

such a sweet cover of this song.

home sweet home. i'm beyond excited to be back in raleigh, gosh i love this place. just some fun thoughts tonight to accompany my great mood.

oh and it might snow tonight!

(images via: madame cupcake, that kind of woman)