New Year's Eve Eve. I spent it driving back from Jax., going crazy on the rides at Islands of Adventure with Jessie & my dad & co. (I highly recommend buying the ticket that gets you to the front of the lines), planning the festivities for tomorrow night (all I can tell you is that pajamas are required...), and eating dinner/watching a possum in Theresa's backyard with her and Ryan. All in all a pretty sweet day! However, I will never return to a theme park on a day anywhere near a major holiday. Remind me of this next year, should I lose my mind again, will you?!



And now, a gift from me to you.
Dave Barnes... watch this video, then go watch all his others. (And his music is actually phenomenal!)



Much love!

Resolutions I never keep

So I'm here in J-ville, plenty of vacation time on my hands, looking through the blogs of my ohso articulate, photogenic, and ridiculously silly friends. They've been telling me how fun blogging is for a while now (Joy and Kim...) so my New Year's resolution is to give it a shot!

It's been a good break so far. It began with a Rock Band marathon/b-day celebration with my swim fam (27 is rough....)




















I've seen everything that every store in Jacksonville has to offer. Twice.

I had a 2 am run-in with my parents' poodle Pedro, a very sleepy family and friend Theresa, and a stubborn possum who thinks our fence is the place to hang out. (Side note- I am no good when I first wake up. I'm sure this isn't news to many of you. I stood in the hallway in front of my room for a few minutes in total darkness wondering what that noise could possibly be until Theresa came out of the other room and steered me in the proper direction. Gotta work on that.)

I checked out what Santa had left.


















Which included this shark showercap.
(How did he know?!)




















I waited on my mom, b/c I've spent about 1/3 of my life doing that.


























And I did the annual Cracker Barrel lunch reunion.



































More seriously, though, I've been thinking about the new year, thinking about my story-- how drastically it's changed this past year and so curious to know how it will change in the next. God has been so sweet to chase me down even though circumstances were hurtful, so sweet to give me more of him, so sweet to love me at all. I am thankful. And I am excited about where I'm headed!

For auld lang syne, my dears!!!