Hot-lanta.

I managed to pull together 2 of my 3 childhood best friends for a lovely overnight in Atlanta this past weekend. Of course, I didn't get a picture with all. Of us - reunion fail - but I got 2 of us! This first picture is of us on the roof top patio at Chad's uncle's townhouse which he generously let us crash for a couple of days. It was a lovely couple of days full of chatting, loving on baby C,  reading, mosquito bites, and generally just being in each other's presence. Sweet, sweet time.

 

We also visited the Atlanta Botanical Gardens today which was quite lovely. They had an exhibit across the whole gardens of huge plant covered "topiaries" - though I would call them giant sculptures. It was pretty cool to see and I am sure they require a lot of upkeep.  

 

 Me with some berries!

  Jess with some orangutans! Yay!

I took a boat load of pictures but I am saving them. Someone special - ahem, one of my 3 readers - might see them in her Christmas calendar so I don't want to share everything!

Life.

I got some really sad news from one of my closest friends today. My heart is so heavy for my friend - for what could have been, was going to be, and now just isn't. It is times like these that I struggle with God. I don't doubt that He IS and WILL BE, I don't even doubt that He is ultimately good and that good will come from this situation. But I struggle with the heartbreak. I struggle with the questions of "Why??" and "Where is the good right NOW?".

This friend is so dear to me. They are there for me when I need them and they make me laugh, understand my frustrations, and they give sound advice. They are loyal, trustworthy, fun, and I want to take away that heartache but I know that isn't possible; a lot of learning and healing and growth will happen here first. I am sure that this is something that gets carried with you for many years if not for always. But I hope that one day, they will be able to look up and see that it doesn't hurt so bad and there are glimmers of good hidden in that darkness.

For a friend.

Chad's man bff (cause I am his lady bff!) just moved out - again - to a little apartment just 5 blocks from us! He's been moving around, mostly finding himself I think, and he is ready for another step out in to the real world again.

Every time I have a friend around my age move out on their own (unmarried), I am reminded how blessed I was when I finally moved out "on my own" to live with my then-new husband. We moved into a fully furnished, lived in townhouse where we wanted for nothing. We didn't even have to start buying toilet paper for a while!  So, I am hyper aware of people who are starting out, starting over, making a go of a fresh place to live. I decided that it would be nice to bring him a little care package/housewarming gift of sorts.

I assumed that since he is a dude that he needed a few basics because he forgot to buy them for himself...so, I included:

A small trashcan for the bathroom, a Febreeze plug in thing with a clean smelling refill (nothing too fruity or girly, I promise!), hand soap, dish soap, a new bath towel and wash cloth, and a basic first aid kit (that includes things like Tylenol, Pepto, bandaids, etc. to get him started).

Here it is all packed up and ready to take down the road.

I remember my blessings clearly and I just wanted to bless him a little bit too...

it should be fun to have him close by - a close friend for my sweetie! I am a little jealous - so my bff's - who's moving?? :)

good friend weekend.

I have another good friend weekend planned because one of my bff's is here in town. We have lots of girly things planned, including lots of doing nothing just hanging out and doing nothing! We have already painted our fingernails and are considering going to the animal shelter and looking at kittens (shhh...don't tell Chad). I really don't think our pets need a new sister but it is always fun to look at and play with their sweet little faces.

We are taking a jewelry making class tomorrow that I am really looking forward to...rings! I know how to make lots of different types of jewelery but this one will be new for both of us. It is so nice to have someone here who is so special to me and that I don't get to spend nearly enough time with!!

livin' for the weekends!

We have lots of fun weekends coming up and I am pretty excited. This weekend, my sister, F and A, my - let's call her my cousin for simplicity's sake - are coming up to visit. We had planned a visit back in the fall and it just didn't work out so we rescheduled for this weekend. It's been a while since my sis and F were able to come up and I am glad they are bringing more fun with them too! We don't really have much planned - lunch out in a Chattanooga joint (suggestions welcome!) and then a hike or touristy activity and then dinner cooked at our house by the chef and me!

Next weekend, Chad has a 1/2 marathon at Berry College. I am looking forward to seeing the campus - its been a few years since I was there last for the wedding of a good high school friend. I think a half marathon is a good length - difficult and challenging without being too hard on his body and leaving me with 4 hours to entertain myself and worry! I think my mom is going to try to come up that weekend too so it will be fun to have a cheering squad to attend the race with me. It is more fun than standing there alone for hours.

Finally, the last weekend of the month my bff is coming to town! We don't really have anything planned either, just general hanging out and enjoying each others company. I haven't had much time with her recently and that time is so valuable!

Lots of visiting company this month that I am very much looking forward to!

I'll take one please.

My bff is here!
And I am not working today to hang out with her.
It will be wonderful - I am so thrilled that she is here.
Now we have to decide how we are going to entertain ourselves for the next 2 days.

Fun times ahead!

she's coming!

Oh bless my i-wish-i-owned-cute-fall boots.
Jessica is coming to see me.
And staying most of the weekend.
And I am taking the day off work tomorrow to hang out with her.
And we are going to laugh and talk and do art projects and go sight-seeing and eat good food.
And it is going to be so so so good.
I can't wait.
Except now I need to go put clean sheets on the bed and vacuum up all the Gwendolen tumbleweeds off my hardwood floors.

Someone please remind me to take my camera with me all weekend!

done.

I am finished tinkering with the layout for now...the middle, basic layout was just one of the blogger ones but I needed one that sorta matched the background that I had already picked out from The Cutest Blog On the Block (both - free!) Now that I remember how, I might make a few other changes but I like the colors and that my background isn't black anymore. I think white on black is hard to read sometimes so I am glad to be back to a more traditional color scheme. And I love the creamy brown, green, and pink together. So, I will leave this for a while before I start messing again. Besides, I have three best friends coming tomorrow and plenty left to do. Our bedroom needs the most work tonight and of course, the construction men did not finish yesterday like they thought they would. The baseboards got a little wet in the rain while they were cutting them so they had to wait for them to dry before they could paint them - thus they are coming back today to finish meaning the closets aren't in working order yet. Please say a prayer for my sanity.