My Predictions for 2009

Ok So this is the last day of 2008, and as such, this is the day when you normally make new year's resolutions, etc. but i don't really make resolutions for the new year so i thought i would try my hand at predicting the future!! ( i know that's a wierd train of thought, but bear with me!)

So in 2009 the following things will happen:

1. I will survive, if just barely, two more semesters of school, and a summer internship! - at this point next year i will be working on getting a job in South GA, and then working on getting ordained by the church, etc.

2. At least one of the people i know will: Get married! (rachel?) get engaged! (Jessica?) Have a baby! (Leah?) get pregnant! (rebecca?- you better not, because you better wait until at least Oct. because then i will be in the state for the birth!!!)

3. We'll get a new President! this i'm pretty pumped about! I hope that Obama's Presidency is everything that his supporters have hoped for. But i think that it remains to be seen, because it takes more than just one person to change things! (Side note: we totally have friends that live in DC and they invited us to come stay with them for the inagaration, and Audie said NO!!! i was like WHAT!! this is history, even if we just go and watch on TV in their living room, rather than ours, at least we could say that we were there!!)

4. Our family and friends will come a visit us in NC. Really this year is basically your last chance, so get your buts up here!!! You are always welcome, and we're never too busy to see the people we love!

Ok so maybe that isn't what you expected and maybe i'm being a little safe in my predictions, BUT i do hope all those things happen, and that they all thrive and are all we hope they should be!!

Love and enjoy your new year!

Julia

Tasty Tuesday!

Ok guys and gals!

i know i have been out of reach for a few days, but i figured I would do something productive today. I certainly am not cleaning (even though Audie's sister and bro-in-law- and their in utero cutie Madison are coming up this weekend) or taking back Christmas gifts (even though i got two of Jon and Kate plus 8's book- i LOVED it, read it in about 3 hours, cried like a baby, and love them even more now) or unpacking (from the quick trip down to ATL for Christmas, got there friday at 9, then left there at around 2 to come back) or taking down the Christmas tree (even though i have a BIG rule about always getting it down before new year's!) or school work (even though i already have a field ed aplication due at the end of the month, and about 13 pages to write for my second year evaluation due this month) so instead of doing all that, i'm giving you an AWESOME, EASY recipe!!

This is the recipe that my mom in law uses to make fudge! It really belongs to her best friend. It is SO easy you will like slap yourself for not making it more. I swear i ate like 25 pieces at Christmas this past weekend, and i ate ALL the fudge that we brought back with us today while i was being lazy!!!

Ok so without further ado!!!

Microwave Fudge

1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 box confectioners sugar (3 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup chopped pecans

- Mix the Butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cocoa in a plastic bowl.
- Microwave on High for 2 minutes.
-Stir in nuts. and pour in a greased 8x8 inch square pan.
-Refigerate until it is all solid and completely cool.
-Cut into small squares and enjoy!!


ok so there you go, but don't overload like i did, but do eat some ( you might even have all the ingredients in your cabinets! When i figured out that i did i decided to make more fudge for the family who is visiting this weekend!)

love to all and i hope ya'll have a great holiday!

Julia

Since It's Christmas

I thought i should post. Well i thought i should post like last week sometime because now i have all this time on my hands. BUT i haven't done anything interesting/funny to share with you! I literally have read about 6 books, none of them for school, but all of them good! and slept an average of about 11 hours a night! it's amazing to do that, because starting the 7th of January it all begins again!!

so the Christmas plans are: We are celebrating alone here today and tomorrow. Santa has everything to put in our stockings (fruit, nuts, candy) and then several gifts that are wrapped under the tree (audie and i figured we would make it easy on the old guy) and i have two great gifts under the tree for the hubby! lots of fun!! this is our second married Christmas, but i'm pumped because we get to spend it alone together for the first time in our apartment. Audie doesn't have any time off from work except for Christmas Day. (Though his boss is sending them home at noon today, and maybe something similar will happen the day after?)

Anyway, as soon as Audie gets off on Friday we are fighting the traffic until we arrive at Audie's parents house. At T-giving he got off at 6 like normal, we left our house at 7:00 and we arrived around 12:30. Hopefully we can get there a bit sooner (like that his boss will randomly tell them to go home early) But my job is to have the car packed tomorrow night, and be ready to go with about 45 minutes notce so that when he pulls up, i load the last few things into the car, and then he changes out of his work clothes and then we leave!

When we finally get to GA we will spend all of Saturday with his family, eating dinner and opening presents with them! tons of fun! We'll all go to Chruch on Sunday and then out to lunch. and then Audie and I will drive back! oh what fun!! i love driving 12 hours for about 36 hours with family! that's a good ratio!

Ok well i hope ya'll have a great Christmas, enjoying the reason for the season! love to all.

Julia

another update

So the semester is finally over. Actually it has been officially over since i took my last final Thursday morning. But today grades came out and were posted online. I was definitely holding my breath on a few of them, but they turned out pretty good. All B's. two regular B's and two B +'s. that's not too bad. I worked hard for all of them and now the fruits of my labor have paid off. My GPA even rose a few hundreds of a point. Not bad if I say so myself.

SO besides waiting patiently for grades things have been groovy, nothing stressful happening, mostly sleeping and shopping for Christmas. I am almost officially done with that as well. A small gift to mail to my dad and stepmom is the last thing on my list. Audie's family is drawing names this year, and so is mine, so we wound up having to buy for only four people, plus each other. Not too bad. I got some great things for Audie and i hope to get some awesome things as well.

Not that we need anything really this year, but it's nice to express how much these people mean to me by getting them a nice gift and then wrapping it all up nicely! Did i mention that i actually like wrapping gifts? I do! When i was little (like 12 or so) i started wrapping all the Christmas gifts for my grandma, and the last several years i did all my mom's wrapping as well. I love every minute of it. I love measuring out the paper, making the pattern fit so you can't see the seams, making the tape disappear, putting a nice ribbon and tag on it, etc. I read an article in a magazine once about a lady who did that for a living, wrapped people's gifts for them. i could do it in a heartbeat!

I guess I'll put that on the list of careers i could have had (if God hadn't called me to this ministry thing) Present Wrapper, Wedding Planner, Construction General Contractor, Nanny, Personal Chef - the list is pretty long. Anyway. these are the kind of things you get to think about when you have nothing else to do (no schoolwork) and I have plenty of time on my hands!

Happy Holy-days everyone!

Julia

No i'm not dead

Just severely deranged! I have been studying/writing papers for the last two weeks. I took plenty of time off for Thanksgiving turkey and Dressing in AL with my family. I also went to my hometown for a DCOM meeting, and i was passed with flying colors. They basically just ask a few questions and then determine if you are should still be in the running to be ordained. So i passed.

other than that my life is pretty boring, i've really been doing homework almost constantly. So i'm also watching Sex and the City on DVD while doing it.

I put up my Christmas tree too. i bought a new prelit one at Wally world on the day after thanksgiving (at 5 am) for 25 dollars! i know right awesome, and then i got it home and it looks kind of like i paid 25 bucks for it. -which i did so it's fine, and when i got all my cute ornaments on it didn't look to bad.

the big thing about this weekend is that i am dog sitting. My friend Danny and his Fiance were going out of town for wedding planning stuff, and they forgot to contact the boarders who normally take Pixie. SO audie and i volunteered! it's been really fun! which is surprising 'cause i'm not a dog person AT ALL. I like looking at cute dogs as much as the next person, but i'm not good at the taking care of them part. Anyway Pixie is a lahsa apso. It's kind of like a golden shitz zu. really cute and precious. he's been great!

Ok so that is the update so that you all don't think i died or something!

love to all and Merry Christmas.

-Julia

happy Friday everyone!

YAY! it's finally here: FRIDAY!! I'm really sorry that i have been conspicously absent this week. I blame it on the fact that yesterday i turned in a 20 page paper! Aahh, a sign of relief! You know that when i hear people tell me how lucky i am that i am still in school, or that they would go back in a heartbeat, etc. I want to tell them, ok go ahead and do my next huge research paper and we'll see how you feel. I know it's just the 'grass is greener' thing going on, but still everyone's life is really stressful in different ways.

really i love being in school, i definitely like the flexible schedule, where i get to sleep in some mornings and get afternoon naps, but that is counterbalanced by the allnighters, finals that make me have nervous breakdowns, etc.

So yeah, the paper i turned in was all about john wesley (the founder of Methodism- for you non-methodists) and his theology of financial stewardship. He was a crazy man about this issue. people now discribe him as a socialist, and he really wanted to bring about a different society of people who helped one another with thier financial issues. he literally lived off of only 20 % of his income and gave the rest to others in need around him. what a high standard!! it really humbled me to think of how intense and passionate about living out the gospel he was! inspirational!

So now it is on to the second largest paper of the semester, 12 page exegesis (a theolgical explanation) on a passage of scripture of my choice. It's for my gender and race in Paul, so i guess not 'any' one that i want, it has to be from Paul's letters in the New Testament and it has to have to do with gender or race. So i choose to do it about Ephesians 5: 21-33. It is a household code, where Paul talks about wives and husbands being submissive to one another, like the church is to Christ. I haven't formed an opinion about it yet, the research just started, but I think it will be at least interesting to talk about. And after i turn in the paper i have to write a 20 minute sermon on the same passage, using what i have learned from all my research and exegesis.

so that's my life for now! really interesting to me, but probably boring to anyone else. i'm definitly stretching my brain these past few, and next few weeks! Hope you are also a learning alot in your life! Here's to being a lifetime learner, even when you aren't in school!

ttfn,

Julia

two posts in a row!!

ok i know ya'll are proud!! but i went to one of my fav blogs and she was having a give away! so this post is dedicated to Lauren at www.gigglepotomas.wordpress.com IF the link doesn't work then just go to my blog reel on the side of the page to get there!

i first found her blog through her hubby at Poop and Boogies. His blog is totally the funniest i've ever read, and her's is great. It's nice to see both spouses' views on the things that are happening. they have two cute little boys and one new little boy on the way, i know i'm excited!

Her blog is great becasue it gives out little tips and recipes all the time. She's a great seamstress, and she regularly posts the great things she makes herself. Also she has links to her esty shop so you can go buy some of her things too. great stuff for kids, and some REALLY cute purses for moms.

ok, so go there! i'm telling you that you have to!! GO NOW!

ok love and ttfn, and also- Thanks God it's Friday!

Julia

Taco Soup

Ok so it's been a week since my last post. I'm not sure if i even have any readers!! but here is a tasty thursday recipe:

Taco Soup


1 lb Groud Beef, Stew Beef or Chicken
½ cup chopped Onion
1 large can tomatoes, diced including juice ( or fresh tomato and I can of tomato sauce)
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can white corn
1 can yellow corn
1 can Rotel (mild, medium or hot)
1 package Taco seasoning
1 package of Ranch dressing mix
Optional toppings- Grated cheese, sour cream, crackers, etc.

• Brown meat in large pot then drain.
• Add onions and cook until they are tender
• Add remaining ingredients (including liquids from all cans).
• Simmer for at least 15 minutes
• Serve in bowls with toppings as wanted.


This is really a fail proof recipe, EASY, basically just dump a bunch of cans in a pot and let it cook! It is alot like a really watery chili. and you can basically leave out anything you don't like, i.e. a veggie version would be really easy, or in my case i take out a small pot-full before i add all the beans for Audie. or you can leave out the onions, etc.

So as for my life, not much is up, i'm bogged down in the end of semester goop. I have several large papers, and tests due in the next few weeks. but we foun out yesterday that we'll be able to be with my family in Alabama (9 hr drive) for thanksgiving, and Audie's for Christmas, but we will be here by ourselves for Christmas Day, which might be nice. Anyway i hope you enjoy the recipe, it's great for rainy, cool nights like this!!

TTFN

Julia

thoughts

So my candidate won, actually several of them did across the state/ the current state i live in. And overall i think that the country has been really wonderful about the results. I know that a little less than half of the people in this country are disappointed in how it turned out.

I want to be supportive of you in that disappointment. Just because you aren't the majority doesn't mean that you don't get to have a voice, that is what our country is built on. The fact that we ALL get to voice our opinions, vote for who we want to and change things when we disagree with how things are going.

Some of you have really passionate feelings about one issue or more things that you really wanted to occur. I want to encourage you to take those feelings to those who we have just elected! that's the point!! though your candidate didn't win, doesn't mean that you aren't represented. write/call your congressperson and tell them how you feel about those issues, and encourage them to vote with their people in mind! our political process begins, not ends, with elections!

That being said I have been really saddened and hurt by how some people have reacted. Just because your candidate won doesn't mean that you get to do a 'see i told you so' dance, or push it in other people's faces, or take out your feelings on those who voted other than you. Also just because your candidate didn't win doesn't mean that you get to be mean to those who voted for the winner. Or really get angry and take that out on others.

I want to share a story that hit close to home. My sister in law posted on Facebook in her status that "(insert her name) is disappointed." That is all, nothing more nothing less, and she apparently had people jump down her throat for voting the 'wrong' way! I think that that is stupid. i think that you need to go into the booth to vote knowing that it could go either way, and that if your person loses the election that the world is not going to be over.

I really think that we have turned a corner as a country, where political action has replaced political apathy, and that people have realized that anyone can do anything, and that we can change our country, by banding together and working for the good of everyone!

ok so i hope that wasn't too scattered and that you can at least understand where i'm coming from.

ttfn.

Julia

GO VOTE!!!

i think everyone who reads this blog has already, or will, but tell your friends, grandmas and neighbors to get out there and exercise their right!!

so for tasty Tuesday i have an EASY recipe!!!


Cheesy Chicken


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3-4 slices of cheese (any kind)
1 can cream of chicken soup
Seasoned breadcrumbs (optional)

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lay chicken in bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Arrange cheese slices on top.
• Spread soup over chicken and sprinkle breadcrumbs over is desired.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Serve over rice or pasta, pouring sauce over.

SO EASY- actually audie and i may have this, totally one of our favs.

so cook this easy dinner with your family and then sit around and watch our president get elected!! And let's all pray that America gets the president we need and not the one we want.

AND don't forget to serve THE king and THE kingdom- while both are eternal, both are also in this world right now, and can make a difference! That is where my salvation comes from, not the politician that i voted for!

love and Ta Ta For Now.

Julia

Tasty Tuesday!

Ok so i like the blogs that have a theme day every week, so i'm jumping on the bandwagon! Sorry i'm a follower, not a leader. But since so many of you who read this have no time to cook/ i don't either i thought i would share a recipe a week.

now caution: i will probably not stick with tuesdays, i actually wanted to do munchie mondays, but then that sounded like only a snack food thing (any day/name suggestions are welcome). also i'll try to work some veggie ones in for blair and the lingenfelters, and others who do the vegetarian thing, but i'm not promising health food here. i'm really not going to stick with just stuff that's 'easy' because you and i need to step it up a notch every once in a while. Give me some feedback or ideas of how you made the recipe your own, i love new ideas too.

so without further delay: the recipe:

Baked Chicken and Rice


2 cups milk
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cans cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom, brocoli, asparagus, whatever!)
Chicken (either 2 cans, 3 chicken breasts, or tenders- uncooked and cut up)
Seasoning- salt, pepper, poultry seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar Cheese- optional


• Mix milk, rice, and soup in a 9x 13 Pyrex dish, mix well.
• Lay chicken on top, and cover in aluminum foil
• Bake at 350 for 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes, removing foil for last 15 minutes (adding cheese if desired.)

ok so this recipe was given to me by my friend sarah, and i know that 1 1/2 hours is a long time, but it takes about 10 minutes to put it all together, and then you forget about it for an hour or so. it works with my schedule, or it's good for sunday/saturday nights when you want to stay in, but don't want to be stuck in the kitchen forever! it makes a great casserole to give to someone else too, because you can make it ahead of time, and they can just heat it up for a few minutes.

so give some feedback and enjoy the recipe! (for the record audie and i are having pancakes for dinner, because i don't have the time to make this tonight/inclination to go to the grocery store, so if you thought this was me bragging about my cooking skills you're wrong!)

TTFN-

Julia

wow what a week!

this week has really flown by! i'm not really sure why but i'm really surprised that friday came around so soon.

two afternoons this week i went to the gym on campus! so scary! well i guess what i mean by that is that i was/am very comfortable on Lagrange's campus, i didn't feel really awkward about going anywhere, except maybe the frat houses. but on Duke's campus, it's just so Large!! i mean the campus of lagrange could fit on one little academic quad on duke's campus. so i really don't venture to far out of my comfort zone around campus. i know how to get to student health, the div school, the chapel, the byran center(bookstore/fast food/offices commonly used by students) and the 'great hall' which is really like a food court of a mall. also can we talk about that i went for lunch with some friends and we went to the armadillo grill, which is kinda like moe's only it's on campus. i realized for the first time that it is a BAR! i mean in between classes you can go for a beer and after class go for shots/margaritas!! SO NOT lagrange!

so i digress, any way i ventured to the gym, not really knowing where i was going/what i would do when i got there. it was HUGE and lots of stuff going on, like thirty eliptical machines(whihc i like) and treadmills. a whole room of weight stuff, and a pool, diving area and lane swimming. a full basketball court, and roakclimbing wall, a juice bar, arobics rooms, raquet ball courts, spinclass room, and arobics/kickboxing/yoga room. by the way this is only one of two gyms on campus!!! such a different world!!

so yeah for the last two days i worked out! be proud, i am. i really enjoyed it too, it was fun to do something that doesn't really require a brain, to just run/jog for 30 minutes and just chill out with the Ipod. good stress relief,a nd lord do i need that! three friends and i have committed to meet on wednesday afternoons to go every week.

ok but my legs hurt like BAD, really sore muscles. I'm not realy sure what to do about that. is there like a magically remedy for sore muscles, if not you need to invent that 'cause i would pay a good amount of money not to have to deal with this.

so not much else going on!

ttfn
Julia

today!

was a bit tiring. i was up 'til 1 getting my midterm done, i know i know mom, no nagging! but then had a full day, and since the water heater wasn't worked on yesterday they came today. i could go into all the craziness of the day but i won't. one important thing did register and unrest me for the day.

someone took my seat in class today!! ok so audie thinks this is me being unreasonable and maybe it is, so if you agree with him feel free to say so in a comment. so i sit in the same sit, third row from the back, second seat in on the left side of the middle section of the big lecture hall. to my right is meredith, my left is sarah and her left is Danny. these are my cohorts, accomplises, and friends at the div school. we are pretty much inseperable within the walls of the school. we sit in these seats EVERY day! i have sat there since my beginning at the div school, and meredith, sarah and danny have all moved to be in my row( not because i insisted, but because they saw the merit in my seat, i am sure) well occasionally someone doesn't the the memo that these are our seats and infringes on our territory!! NOT COOL. it throws off my groove, it messes up my shakras, makes me feel guilty for surfing the web in class, etc. that happened today, and it bothers me yes, but i realize it is not very Christlike, nor socially acceptible to yell at someone who is in your seat, or ask them to move because 'it's not like your name is on it'.

what really got my goat this morning is that these particular people has infringed on my territory before. one is a guy, i will call him the sniffer. he is outspoken, morally superior, an uber democrat, a LOUD typer and a sniffer. i mean really bad. and he drinks this green tea CRAP out of a metal straining straw, every day! all of which really gets on MY NERVES.

the other is an eavesdropping and then butting into your conversation, superior because she is more involved on campus than me AND has children (so why don't i step up my game), and when (politely) asked to scoot over a seat so that we could all sit together- a few weeks ago- got all passive aggressive, but complied. when she realized what she had done today she offered to move, we said it's not a huge deal and she said 'of course, well i wouldn't want to break ya'll up' and moved over-in a VERY passive aggresive tone!

now i realize this is not the end of the world, nor is it a big deal at all to others, but why do people feel the need to move around the room, messing up my shakras!!! please if you are one of these people please explain.

So if you are a seat mover: please explain why you do this, is it just to annoy the rest of us?
and if you aren't: please tell me i'm not the only one who is bothered when others do this!

so sorry to verbally abuse my neighbors and collegues in classes online, but i have to vent somewhere- and this is as good a place as any!

love to all,

Julia

post 31

ok so that's not a huge accomplishment, but that's like a whole month of posts. well, they are spread out over two months or so, but whatev! i like having a milestone even it if is a small one. so i'm sitting in the refectory at school(that's like a cafeteria) and i'm supposed to be working on my midterm that is due tomorrow. i have class at 2:30 today.

so why am i up and at school when i could be still in my pajamas? well we got a note on saturday that said that the maintenience people were going to install a water meter on our hot water tank and to 'remove all personal items from the hot water heater closet' or pay $25. well audie and i had a decision to make- to move the washer and dryer or not?

so the pros/con to moving them:
pros:
possibly not paying $25. - we were a little unsure if the washer and dryer, which do belong to us are considered 'personal items' or if they just meant our iron and dustbuster that also live in the hot water heater closet.
cons-
those things are HEAVY!! and awkward. i mean it took audie, my mom and stepdad and me like an hour to figure out that they don't both fit! and then we wound up fitting them in later and then the dryer didn't work (loong story) and then we pulled it back out, bought a new(used from goodwill) dryer and moved it in (another long time of sweat, tears, a few drops of blood- and almost a divorce) and then hooked it up. then we had to move the old dryer to the dumpster which meant finding a friend with a truck!

the pros/cons of leaving them in:
pros- someone else will have to be the one to move them, and put them back!!
cons- we loose $25- but only if they have to be moved out.

needless to say audie and i decided to pay the 25 dollars rather than risk a divorce over moving the damn things back out and then back in!

so i'm hear while the people work- love to all!

julia

loving Saturday

yay! i love being at home with little to do on saturdays! sure i have a take-home midterm to finish, but i'm not so worried about it. My hubby and i get to spend the whole day together! his new work schedule(which he loves) means that he doesn't get home 'til 7 and with this new art project he's working on he is putting his nose to the grind when he gets home and then we don't really see each other until bed!

so it's nice that we get to spend the ay together. and we're going to a movie and dinner date on sunday! we were going to go last night, but he had to work on the drawings for the illustration cirriculum thing. so i went for a tipsy game night with my friends, SO fun! lots of apples to apples, Last Word(totally fun) and Scategories. and lots of Mike's Hards, a daqauri, and a few shots!! ach i know i flashed back to my college days, only not really 'cause i never did that in college, but apparrently seminary is my time to party!! haha, not really by anyone else's standards. others probably look at my 'parting' and thing i'm a goody two shoes or soemthing.

but it was fun. we had a great time and audie came and picked me up and took care of me when i got home.

ttfn- off to enjoy my saturday with the hubby!!

julia

i love Fall Break

Oh how i love thee!! I love sleeping in, i love not showering and staying in my PJs all day! i love procrastinating all the work i have to do!! oh i love it!!

well a few updates- Audie has a new schedule at work. his boss asked if anyone would be willing to switch to a 9:30-6:00 shift instead of his regular 8:30-5. and audie said yes, he called me at lunch yesterday to ask what i thought about it first, but i told him it was his job and he could do what he wanted. and he was like, well there are other people around here who have kids/parents to take care of and can't switch, and if i can then i will 'cause i would rather do it than them have to. that's the kind of guy that he is, he volunteers to do it just because he knows it would be harder for others to do it. well and it would make his commute easier! so he started his new schedule today, which meant an extra hour this morning with him, but he'll won't be home 'til 6:45 or so, boo hoo.

definitely on a better note, he met with a friend of his from SCAD last night. this guy is now a full time evangelist for some Pentacostal denomination- he didn't say and i didn't ask. but this guy wrote a cirriculum for thier organization to use for Sunday School material a few years back and Audie did the illustrations. (he got paid for the initial artwork, and now the pentacostal denomination is printing it internationally(ok well in Canada) and all over the US to use in their Sunday Schools, how cool is that?) anyway, the friend has a new project and Audie is doing the artwork for it as well. apparently it is a bible study for kids, called Kids Reaching Kids. It invovles a story that is told, one part each week for like 8 weeks, along with a poster size illustration (done by audie) and then after the story installment is read, they do a bible study on the major themes in the story. and this friend of Audie's is doing all the writing and then will hold the copyrights to it and everything. They are meeting again on Saturday to work out more details, and to determine pricing. pretty cool huh? well audie's excited!

since he's being doing the customer service thing at work, he hasn't had time to do much art, so he is definitely pumped to do something he is great at! also it gives him a ton of experience to add to the old resume! so maybe when we get back to GA he can do this sort of thing more full time!

well i'll catch ya'll later, i have to go do more lounging around and reading books that aren't for school!

julia

hi again

so i survived!! i survived my midterm, which consisted of two questions, both of which i rocked-hopefully. i also survived camping!!

so i got plenty of bug bites, and a few sore muscles from hiking on Saturday, and some really smelly smokey clothes. but our sunday school class had a great time. it was really nice to get away from it all for a few days, have a weekend outside our normal life together, and get to know these friends of ours more.

so then i got home, was thrown into reality, and had to finish a paper. it got done at 9:30 this morning, just in time to turn it in. and now i'm loving having a whole week to slowly but surely work on a large project that is due in Nov.

ok i guess that is the update on my life. not too interesting, but true.

ttfn,

Julia

midterms

they start tomorrow! ACH! ok so first some business:

forgive me blogging friends, for i have sinned, it has been (um i don't remember how long ) since i have last blogged!

ok now i will do my penance.

so i wish i could say that because i have midterms this week and next(during fall break!) that this is why i haven't blogged in forever, but that's not really true, so that would just keep the lies coming.

basically for the last two weeks i have gotten really stressed about school, and my reaction to that was to not really do anything at all, i.e. sit around the house reading harry potter instead of reading for class.

a few updates in my life:

so then this past weekend i got sick- i feel terrible, bad head cold and sore throat. but i am taking sudafed and advil every 4 hours and it makes me feel better, for about 3 and 1/2 hours. i have been taking the stuff since Sat. morning, still no better or worse.

audie and i cleaned out our closets and gave away 6 bags of clothes to a goodwill type organization- i challenge all of you to go through all those clothes in your closets and get rid of those things that you don't wear anymore, you know that skirt/dress you wore once to a wedding three years ago and is like 3 sizes too small, and you wouldn't even wear it if it fit (true story). Pass the love onto those in need! I wound up giving our to a great organization that takes ANYTHING! and they repurpose it and give it to other organizations or sell it themselves. they even take in dirty nasty rags and turn them into redyed potholders, rugs and wallhangings that get sold for charity- that is one AWESOME organization!

I can't come to Lagrange for homecoming, i was so looking foward to it, but the ride i was going to hitch isn't comign back to durham until tuesday, and i have midterm due that day, which means i have to work on it next weekend.

everything is all set to go camping this weekend!! i'm actually getting excited! i hope it's not too wet, cold, dirty, gross and or all of the above! but it will be a nice relaxing time before the rush of fall break begins.

Why do i say it like that? we that becasue i have a midterm due the tuesday we get back, a paper due on the monday after the camping trip, and a HUGE(like 20 pages) paper due at the first of November, all of which have to be started/completed while i am on Fall break. Officially it is called Fall Reading Period, and that is why. but i will be realaxing some of it, probably not showering, except for the afternoon that i go for a haircut - nothing drastic just a trim, and i'm phasing out my bangs, 'cause i have decided they don't look good on me!

so i feel really bad for leaving you all in the dust (or maybe no one cares that i have been gone for 1 and 1/2 weeks) but i still felt ok about myself 'casue amber hadn't blogged either, and now she beat me to it! so i'm the sucky one.

ok so that's a ton for now, i guess i had to get it all out because i hadn't blogged in a while.

-julia

wow what a week!

so you can all punish me for being a bad blogger by commenting on how much you missed the random updates on my life, just kidding i know ya'll probably didn't miss me all that much. i really wish that i could say that i didn't blog this week becasue i was really super busy, or that we went on a surprise Vacation, or somthing. but that would be a lie, and as the 10 commandments tell us, that is BAD! so i'll just chalk it up to laziness!

i really did very little this past week, including school work. i had a few reading assignments to do, but this past week was really the calm before the storm of midterms, which are in two weeks, but after that i have 'fall break'. i put that in quotes 'cause it's not actually called fall break, it's actually called fall reading period- and they mean that 'cause i will probably spend the five days off reading/ writing my big Methodism paper! but on the weekends that is a different story!

the first weekend audie and i are going camping! (go ahead and giggle at the prospect of me being in the woods) but our sunday school class at church is going to a state park in the area and doing the campground thing. I told audie that i felt like i wanted to go, so we're going. it's only going to be like four couples for two nights but i think it will be fun! hopefully there wont' be any real animals or anything, and i know we'll have some good food, can you say smores!!

then the second weekend i'm really considering going to LC's homecoming. the alumni functions are always so cheesy, but i have the weekend free, so why not go down and spend some time with the BFFs although Jessica is being a dork and saying she is busy, i don't really believe her, so amber and i might kidnap her and force her to go to our slumber party!

well lots of love to all of you out there, i hope you're still reading!

-julia

the weekend- so hectic!

sorry i haven't posted this weekend. It was crazy! so it all starts Thursday night when i was wrong AGAIN and did not go to a communion service, but a vespers service at duke chapel. man i was mad!! not that the service wasn't good, but it irritated me that i wasted like three hours of my time waiting around for a service that didn't fulfill the need i had.

well then on Friday my good friend had a personal crisis. and i am a very empathetic person and got really stressed for her. not to mention that her situation with her boyfriend really reminds me of a guy that i dated, and how we broke up. so we went for a bit of retail therapy! which was awesome 'cause i had birthday money to spend and i needed some dress khakis (how/why do you spell that word that way?) so i got some dress pants that are brown and some khakis. so that was stressdul, not the shopping part, but the being with a friend in her pain and confusion part.

then on saturday we left NC at 6 am and got to GA around 12:30. ah, what a trip- i had a BAD headache the whole time and got really sick feeling- i NEVER get car sick, but i was reading, so i think that was it. we had to stop along the way for some Dramamine- which we could NOT find in any gas stations! ( i don't know why not 'cause that is when you need it! we had to find a walgreen's) but that made it all better!

that night we celbrated Audie's dad's- bob- birthday. he turns 70 today! i personally can't believe it! he totally doesn't act like he is 70! it's actually kind of amazing, 'cause he battled colon cancer a few years ago, and he's about as healthy as you can get now. Audie's mom and he are the happiest couple ever! and they are really fun to be around, i'm really lucky to have such great in-laws. we got to see Audie's three brothers, and his sister! Leah is pregnant and so we got to hear the rundown on what is going on with the baby! (i'm so excited to be an aunt!) then we got to hold/ feed/ changediapers/ get spit up on, by Audie's great-nephew. that's right audie has a niece that has a child. actually he has a niece that has a seven kids, and one that just had her first. Audie has two brothers who are in their forties, and one of them is a grandpa! really cute baby, daniel, are really precious! i didn't even mind (too much) that he spit up on my shoulder while i was holding him!

so then on sunday we went to church with his parents, and got to sit in the balcony with his mom ( she is the lady who makes the powerpoint stuff move) and her best friend, Cathy, who's grandchild, sarah kate, was there! sarah is the daughter of Audie's best friend, pete and his wife Kristin. So beautiful. and she was such a lady, she DID NOT spit up on me! i appreciated that because i was in my church clothes.

then we had lunch and then made the LONG trip back to NC! we got here last night at around 8:30. whoo what a weekend!! Exactly! well now on to THIS week, more classes and work! love to all.

ttfn,

Julia

OK I was wrong, part 2

so the presidential debate isn't until the 26th, next friday! that means all my dreams can come true. i can watch survivor, grey's and McCain Vs. Obama. my div school friends are all getting together for a pizza/debate party that night- really pumped about that! Sarah is the host next week, but maybe i can host one one of these days!

also in the news this week: i got my first paper of the year back!! not too shabby if i do say so. i got an 84, which is pretty good for a first paper. you don't really know what to expect, or what the grader wants from you so it's good to get the first one under your belt so that next time you have a good idea of what to do.

also today in my american christianity precept today we did a group worksheet. you know divide into groups and discuss these questions, and then report back. it was fun becasue usually we just come in and discuss stuff. it was like being in 4th grade again doing group work, i like wanted to make a tri-board afterward.

ok so i have/had two hours to kill on campus, i'm going to go to a communion service at Duke chapel at 5:30.

ttfn,
-julia

Ok so i was wrong!

Survivor doesn't start until NEXT Thursday. Which present a Real problem, because that is the same night of the first presidential debate. now i am politically active, by the way my 'palin name' is Geese Whalebone Palin, but i think i will choose survivor over the debates.

Well don't think less of me, i just already have decided- as you can probably figure out from previous posts who i will vote for. but just a word i do think it is ridiculous when people start talking about the politicians personal lives and bring up crap about other stuff that really shouldn't matter.

AND i fully think that you get to vote for who you want to and i get to vote for who i want to, and it will be ok if we don't agree. also i think that this last president has proved that even if all hell breaks loose and we have a (in my opinion) crappy president, things still stay at least decent 'cause we still are alive, and have at least our basic liberties and rights. - not to say that everything is hunky-dory and we need more of the same, we don't. But i do think that at the end of the day we still have to be a united state, one country under the president who will be the president no matter what.

So whoever you chose to vote for, you might just have to deal with the fact that the other people win, and i think that we should all start working together for the good of the Ole USA instead of throwing stones, or pulling out useless (and untrue) stories about each candidate.

Making the other guy/girl look like an idiot doesn't actually help anything, it just makes everyone angry and make the endless cycle start all over again. That is one thing about this political race that hasn't changed since the last one is that the mud is still flying both ways, and at the end of the day, both parties get dirty!!

-julia

busy weekend

So i had a great weekend! Wedding dress shopping was SO fun, but i had forgotten how exhausting it is! as far as i know she still doesn't have a dress but i will keep you updated! She tried on like a zillion, and all of them looked great, many of them were perfect, and i think there is a front-runner, it's just not bought yet.

I had a paper due at noon today so i spent most of Sunday writing. i mean i did take some time to procrastinate a bit and read Harry Potter, or play video games, etc. but i got finished last night around midnight, which isn't an incredibly late night for me. then this morning i was able to wake up a bit earlier and edit and print it. and then start reading for my class this afternoon. I think i will be pretty behind on my reading this week, but that's ok. it's not impossible to catch up, i'll just have to prioritize on what is most important.

Speaking of reading i need to get back to it, but i thought i would utilize one of my last opportunities to blog for a few days.

by the way Survivor- my most all time favorite show begins this week!!! so excited about survivor Ghana, i will be blogging about it for sure!

so we are not in GA

So because of everyone raising the price of gas right now, and people freaking out and buying it all up we are not coming to GA today, obviously, but we will be there next weekend no matter what. That's actually working a ton better 'cause i have two papers due this week and trying to do the family thing and write doesn't usually work.

So last night we went to my friend Danny's for dinner with him, his fiance and her BFF. SO much fun, such good food, then we played Phase 10, my most favorite (card) game ever, but it is the monopoly fo card games if you play with more than like three people, so we didn't leave there until almost 12:30- I'm getting to old for this!!

BUT Amber (the fiance) asked me to go wedding dress shopping with her and BFF today!!! AAAHH!! i love weddings, anything and everything to do with them! so of course i said yes!! so we shall see how AWESOME this day turns out to be!!

-julia

AAH!! My life is crazy!

SO hi everyone, remember me?? probably not because i never Blog!! i know i know i stink and this, but hopefully you all know me and love me anyway! so sorry i haven't blogged since monday, but things are busy 'round here.

so yesterday was my b-day, and it was totally the best one yet!! i got great gifts from Audie right after i woke up!! and then that night i had great dinner at cheesecake factory with my bestest friends from seminary!! so i was a bit busy 'kay.

Audie's job is awesome! he loves it, he is in the midst of being trained so he has a girl that helps him handle all of his calls still. it can be monotonous, but i think he'll like it. AND he gets paid soon which is awesome!

we're going to be in ATL this weekend!! because audie's car has to be inspected before he can get a new tag, but that does mean that we get to celebrate new jobs and birthdays with his family.

also today i got an amazing birthday present for myself. I will introduce you to two fo my new loves!! number one is craigslist.com. ok so it is kindof like a classifields website, you can find jobs, you can list things you are selling/ giving away, and you can post personal ads. I'm not terribly interested in most of it, but there are some cool things there so check it out. anyway, i have been looking casually for a cheap but cute/ good dining room table and chairs. and the other day i found a great one on craigslist for $175. you can't bet that. My friends and i went and got it today!! it looks A-mazing!! all it really needed was a good scrubbing, which brings me to fav. number 2

the mr. clean magic eraser! i am in LOVE! i'm not a total neat freak, but my table and chairs have white painted legs and chair backs, and natural colored wood table top and chair seats, so they have a few smuges on them. i got a (target brand) magic eraser and they just wiped off!! awesome! i'm going to have to sam's club them and add them to my cleaning supply bucket! (that rarely gets used- especially when i am in school)

so i know this was a scatter brained post, but my life is kind of upside down right now. Good, but busy.

-julia

give me a J... Give me an O... Give me a B!!

That's right everyone, Audie got the call today, and he got the job!!

so they called today to offer it to him and he accepted- obviously!! but let me tell you about it. He will be the customer service rep for an art supply company in Raleigh. It is a really good company, all family owned and operated for 40 years. they sell all their art supplies wholesale so they are discounted much more than in the stores. and most of their business is done through phone or mail ordering. so when you call to place an order Audie will answer the phone (not someone in India or somewhere) and plug it into the computer.

so tomorrow he's going to start training! the best part is that it is full time. so he'll work from 8:30-5 Monday through Friday, with the possibility for overtime. It is hourly pay, but 10.00 an hour to start, meaning he could possibly get a raise after some time if he does well!

we really want to tell you all how much we appreciate all your prayers and support. we are so excited and ready for this new part of lives!

- julia

We survived a Huricane!

So we survived Hanna 2008! So NC has like blown this whole thing out of proportion. because really this was only a category one, but Raleigh was declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm, 2 days ago. So then Hanna hit! and basically all the waterways rose about 20 feet, but nothing really got damaged. It just rained like heck and the wind blew a lot, but we were fine, and mostly everyone else was too!

also my aunt, uncle and four cousins live in Baton Rouge, LA and they are without power still from Gustav. so while we are ok after Hanna, they still have about 2-3 weeks of chaos because of schools having to start back, groceries being hard to get air and power being difficult, etc.

so i know that you are all wondering how the interview went. I REALLY don't want to jinx it or whatever, so i'm not sure if i should tell you all. but it did go well, and Audie should find out on Monday. So i'm not going to gush about the job or anything, not yet anyway, but keep praying!!

well we didn't really do much this weekend, because of the hurricane. But we are heading to church tomorrow so i have to go to bed early! love to all.

YAY!

so today was a good day! i went to class and had my first precept meeting. ( for all you non-div schoolers that is basically a small group that meets for all those large classes i'm in so we can actually discuss things.) it was good, i actually siad some things that other people agreed with and got some clarification about our first assignment, which is due in a week and a half.

Usually (and by that i mean the last two semesters) we had a few kind of 'soft' assignments at first, you know a summary of the reading, a question or insight we had from the reading due every class period, so we got feedback from the preceptors without it being in the form of a graded assignment. This semester we don't get that, we just jump right into a graded assignment as the very first thing we turn in. so that will be interesting to see how i do on that paper. It's on my understanding of the doctrine of God. Basically we had to read a chapter where three different authors present thier understanding of the doctrine of God and then i get to 'evaluate' thier opinions while at the same time sort of voicing my own. - should be interesting.

also today i babysat for a little girl that i will babysit every wednesday afternoon for this semester at least, and hopefully into next semester. it was great she is about 19 months old, and took a nap for about an hour today and so i got to do some so important reading about the history of clergy- to be discussed tomorrow.

i got to talk to my mom, which was nice. i love my mom a lot and always like hearing from her, and today was great 'cause i didn't have anything else i needed to do so i was actually able to talk to her.

AND (drumrole please).... Audie got an interview for a job!! he goes on Friday to interview for a job in Raleigh. SO excited, but don't want to put too much pressure on it, so cross your fingers, or say a prayer, whichever you are more comfortable with. of course we are doing fine financially for the moment, but audie being out of work for three months has taken it's toll, and i'll be really glad when he is working again!!

well i guess that's all for now, on to more homework i have about 90 pages to read befoe class tomorrow, so it's on!!

-julia

sorry i'm a bad blogger!!

so i told you things may slow down after school started back but i didn't even realize how much!! school hasn't actually been all the stressful yet, though i think i have read about 1000 pages this week in prep for next week! but the DNC was occupying lots of my time, and rightly so because it was awesome to see history in the making!!

so i guess i should reveal i am an Obama fan!! my closest firends and family know that but i feel like i should tell you that up front! i'm not a totally extremeist about it but it does irritate me when people tell stupid lies aobut him because they dont' want to vote for him. i mean if you don't want to vote for him becasue you think he's wrong about the country needed change, or because you disagree that he has enough experience or something else policy wise. but i HATE it when people make political decisions based on thier ill concieved notions that he somehow is goingto be bad at the job of president because he is bi-racial ( not 'black' or african american even- his father was from kenya, but he was raised by his very White midwestern single mom and grandparents!!- you can't get any whiter than Kansas!!) Anyway i think it is just as stupid as people believing that Hilary would be a bad political leader 'casue she has a uterus!!

ok sorry for the rant and raving about it, but it does iritate me, 'cause this is 2008 people. get with the fact that all people are created equal!!

so then i had a great weekend babysitting for two cute little girls!! and i am about to go there again and so it soon after i make dinner for me and hubby i get to go spend the night putting other people's kids to bed!!

-julia

middle of the week, ugg.

so today is wednesday. and that means that i have officially been to all my classes for the first day. So now i have to just attend them for the rest of the semester. So the outlook is positive, though i am sure that this semester will be must more difficult than the last two. i like all my professors, but they are all really good at their jobs which means my assignments will certainly stretch me beyond belief!!

I have Dr. Heitzenrater for Early Methodism, and he is like the man of Methodist studies. I was really excited about sitting in classes with a legend, and he is one of the main reasons that i came to duke, honestly! but wow he is kinda on the boring side. i mean he is great, but he could be a bit more perky up there lecturing.

Dr. Wacker is who i have for American Christianity. he is a really cute geeky man! he makes jokes and tells good example stories which is nice because he keeps me engaged in his lecture at 8:30 in the morning! really sweet man. the only bad part is that he is one of these, just keep up with the reading with no real plan for when to read what by when, professors. that really doesn't work for me so we'll see how much i actually read!

side note this is one of two classes that i have to attend not just lectures, but small group discussion classes -which is actually where i will ask questions and such. so last semester i had this preceptor- to remain nameless to protect his identity- but i had him for Church History last year and i got a C+ in the class. Then i had him AGAIN for New Testament AND Old Testament second semester and got two of the hardest worked for B's of my life!!! Anyway- when we register for classes it doesn't tell us who we have for precept for so we don't just take the same person over and over, but somehow i just gravitate towards his section for some reason. So i get to class yesterday and the preceptors are announced and introduced, and lo and behold there is this guy!!! he was SUPPOSED to graduate and leave me alone!!! so sure enough i looked online and there he is teaching my class!!! so great now he thinks i'm stalking him and i'll get a bad grade! - to put the positive spin on things, he isn't a jerk i actually like him a bit because i know him so well at this point, and he has really cute kids, but still!!

then i have Dr. Carter for Christian Theology, and he is awesome! he just got tenure but he is really young! He reminds me of a rapper for some reason, just his inflection and cadence to his words is really similar to someone who is used to reading poetry or something! he also has great timing, speeding up and slowing down for dramatic effect! really good!!

so all in all it will be great but still a bit stressful! also today is my big sister's birthday!!! she is an awesome person and great sister!! she turns 26 today and for the next two weeks will be three years older than me, but soon i'll be 24 and catch back up to her!! have a great day rebecca!! i love you a ton!!

-julia

first day down, many more to go!

So today was my first day of classes! i only had one classes today, but i still had quite a day. There was plenty of reading to do for the class so i spent the morning reading and prepping for class. Then audie went and dropped me off for class early so i could print the syllabus and stuff. tomorrow begins my first early day!

for those who are interested these are the classes i am taking. Gender and Race in Paul, American Christianity, Christian Theology and Early Methodism. So today was Gender and Race in Paul, for 2 and a half hours. And while in undergrad we had a soft first day where we just went over the syllabus and introduced ourselves and stuff and then went home. Not in Graduate school !! today we not only went over the syllabus but then went over the theoretical and theological basis for the class and what would be expected of us for each assignment.

This particular class is made up of not only second and third year students, but also has some Ph.D students in it. I think that is going to definitely raise the level or discussion and rigor for the class for sure. And the professor is AMAZING!! he definitely is awesomely scholarly and really hard, but in a down to earth way that makes him easy to listen to! he is from New Zealand and he is really relaxed and laid back!! he taught us today in cargo shorts, sandals and a button up short sleeve shirt, like a surfer for real!!

awesome discussion today about Genesis 3:28 ( that's the no slave nor free, no male or female, no greek nor jew text ) anyway so then we spent the rest of the time in small groups discussing the text and exegeting (determining the meaning and important nuances of the text) as much as possible from first glance. Apparently we will do this same text on the last day of class as well and using what we have learned in class will help us determine the answers to our initial questions about the text.

ahh!! i loved it, totally and completely every minute of it! this whole experience is totally the hardest thing i have ever done, but every time i leave a class i have such confirmation that this is where God wants me!! i love it!!! (but tomorrow at 7, when i have to get up for my early classes, which i have four days a week, let's see how much i love it!)

-julia

it's ovah!! or is it just beginning?

WOW what a ride! so after the massive shopping extravaganza the wedding stuff stepped it up a notch and amber, her mom and i went crazy getting stuff done. and now it is all over. when i get back to NC officially there will be pics and stuff but for now let's just say it was amazing!! Amber and Derek were amazingly beautiful and it was a ton of fun to see them get married. It was like a whirlwind though! i had the best time in the world hanging gout with old friends from college and seeing the most wonderful people in my life! My hubby also came down yesterday so of course i had to spend some time with him, after not seeing him for a full week and a half!

but the whirl wind of the wedding is over and now life gets back to normal! Audie and i left the reception and went straight to see my in-laws! so now things have calmed down considerably. Tomorrow the whole crew (audie's bro and sis and their spouse/significant other) will be at lunch after church and then it is back to ol' NC!! booo!!!

and monday.... the grind begins! i have my first class of my second year at Duke! so if the blogging slows down, that is why! i actually received an email from two separate professors telling us our reading assignments for the first class meetings this week!! ACH!!! so i will be prepared but just seeing those syllabi freak me out a bit! it will be fine just back to getting stuff done and work!

so i'm exhausted from all the wedding mayhem (amber it was awesome and i loved every minute of it) I really am pumped about some really great pics that were taken and ready to hear how amber thought it all went, but of course she is on the honeymoon, so i won't hear from her for a while.

anyway i'm rambling and pooped so i'll check back later!

-julia

CUTE shoes!

So yesterday we (amber, her mom and i) went shopping for different stuff needed for Amber's wedding and honeymoon.  Amber's mom needed shoes for the wedding and so the first stop we made was to DSW.  If you don't know that is the best shoe store in the world, i mean it's kind of like what heaven might be like.  

Well in DSW not only do they have really cute shoes, but also they have a back room with all their discontinued shoes, or shoes that are out of season, or on mega sale for whatever reason. they are all organized, which i love, there is nothing worse than unorganized chaos at a sale.  anyway they are organized by size, so you don't have to struggle to find the cute shoes in your size.   

So i found some great shoes in black that i really like, but were a bit small.   Which meant i wanted to find another size and so i looked like real hard to find some more just one half size more.  so around the area i went looking and looking- then i saw the same shoe in a half size larger, but it was in taupe- not bad looking, and they fit ten times better, but i thought that the color was a bit weirder and so wasn't sure that i would wear them as much.  

Then i noticed the sticker.  well the taupe ones were on sale for 70% off, but the black ones were only 40% off- well that must be a mistake.  well then i got concerned because if they are only 17$ i would have possibly bought both, but if they are both 40$ i'm not sure that i would pay that much for either of them.  

so off i went to the front of the store to ask, because this is imperative information to make my shopping decision.  so i asked the lady behind the counter and she confirmed that they were both marked correctly and so that the black ones would be 40$ but the taupe would be 17$.  so then i was like well ok, if they were bothe 17 i would have bought both, but ince they aren't i'm not sure if i should buy any.  (because i think i would wear the black ones more, but the taupe ones were the ones on sale- just my luck) well as i say this then the manager, who is right behind the counter as well says that we can work something out. 

Promptly they gave me both pairs for 70% off and my total was only 38$ which is amazing!  look at the picture below so see the awesomeness!! YAY!!

T- minus 4 days

Ok so there are four days left until Amber and Derek's wedding.  I am in charge of the programs and generally helping out while i am here.  So i have been rubber cementing paper together, punching holes, cutting paper and threading ribbon all week.  They are really cute, but are kind of tedious to do.  i feel like i haven't done anything else in a while but stare at paper, but i promised to update you all on my life so this is it. 

Also it has now been a week since i have seen my husband!  i miss him so much.  i think it's really funny because while we were dating we lived like two hours apart and we saw each other like every two weeks and spoke on the phone for hours each night before we went to sleep.  Since we have been married this is the longest we have ever spent apart.  And each night while we speak before bed we definitely don't talk for hours, more like 15-20 minutes.  maybe it just because nothing really has been going on but my glueing paper together, and his looking for jobs, and so there just isn't much to say.  

but i do miss those long convos in the dark of my dorm room, i guess that's what happens when you get married, but you get to trade it out for better stuff like spending a whole week together, 24 hours a day seven full days in a row. (we totally did that this summer several times) so i guess i shouldn't complain!  

but i do miss my sweetie!  i really just miss being around him, having him near me to help/ answer question or discuss things with.  i just love him a ton and i'm totally glad that we got married, and haven't EVER regretted it!  

ok enough mushy stuff, 

byee- julia

What a weekend!!

Ok so i sort of posted on Saturday, but Sunday was an awesome day, but i was WAY too tired to do any posting last night.  

so yesterday morning Amber, Derek and I all went to church.  SO great to see friend i haven't seen in a long time!  i loved seeing all the church people i haven't seen since i graduated a year ago.  we'll forget that Alvin forgot my name has changed!  ( actually it's not a huge deal i barely noticed, but then i was like, wait that's not my name)  It's funny how long it takes to recognize your new last name but then when someone calls you the 'wrong' name it registers quickly.  but most of the time it's not a huge deal.  

That reminds me of a story and i'll tell it to you 'cause that is what this blog is about anyway-  So on Audie's and my honeymoon we decide to save the much needed money by shopping for sandwich stuff, chips and soda to keep in our hotel room and to make lunch everyday and just eat out at dinner each night.  So the first afternoon we were there (married less than 24 hours) we go to a super Target to buy the groceries.  Well we are walking up and down the aisles and he gets slightly ahead of me down an aisle with a stock boy on it.  So i am talking to him, saying i wonder where the such and such is or whatever.   And the stock boy turns to me and is like "excuse me ma'am were you talking to me?"   and i just as naturally as can be said, " no i'm talking to my husband, thanks though" -  ACK so natural like we had been married for like 20 years and were just shopping at the supermarket for the weeks groceries!  so funny how quickly i switched over, but then i still slip up and call him my 'boyfriend' sometimes now!  haha 

ok so that was a side note, yesterday afternoon Jessica and I threw Amber a lingerie shower.  SO MUCH FUN!!  we played games we talked about sex, we talked about fun girly stuff and had some good food and really good cocktails.  and Amber got the cutest lingerie, and some things that she really will wear which is nice too.  

THEN amber and derek and i went to the movies to see Stepbrothers,  it was extremely funny - i laughed like the whole time even though it was mostly inappropriate humor!  really fun!!  

So best day for sure!  after the movie amber and i wound up falling asleep at like 11  like old ladies or something- but we had a long day so it was ok 

so see you later- Julia 

Today's events

hi all!  I'm staying in Lagrange this week with Amber for the wedding!! We went bachloretting last night.  We wound up just going out to dinner, and it was amazing.  We laughed and laughed and talked seriously and loved spending time together. 

But before it all started i realized that i had brought everything i needed, but my dressy clothes.  So i had to work something out so i would have my dress clothes for church, and the shower for tomorrow, the rehearsal dinner and of course for the wedding.  But thankfully my mom worked it out, and i went to Thomaston to get my clothes.  then i spent the rest of the day running errands getting things ready for the awesome shower that Jessica and i are throwing for Amber tomorrow afternoon.  But really not a huge day, but things are sweet 'cause i get to live with my roomie again!!  

Early Morning Post!

Wow, so those of you who know me are aware that i am like the worst morning person in the world and are surprise that i am awake at 8 am, much less doing something productive. But i am still at my parent's house for the week and so I am waking up earlier each day because they are up making noise, the light in my high school bedroom isn't like the light in my room in Durham, I'm in the bed alone instead of being with the husband, etc.

Today though i am headed to LaGrange! I loved being in college there and one of my two best friends ever is getting married. The three of us are all bachloretting tonight in Atlanta and i am looking forward to being dressed up, good food, good laughs and LOTS of fun!! Then i'll be in LaGrange the rest of the week being the wedding elf for Amber.

She's been a really great friend to me form the start of college on, and i love that we met so randomly and that we think and act the same so much, but are also so different! She's marrying the wonderful Derek, who is actually perfect for her. Now that she is with Derek i feel like i know the real Amber better, just by seeing her interact with someone who really is perfect for her. She is quirky and funny and loving to everyone and everything( in theory, in reality she can be a bit snippy without realizing it, but we are working on it) and was my first real friend at college.

Jessica is equally an amazing friend and is the person who reigns Amber and i back in. I think Amber and i are sometimes too loud, impulsive and kooky, but Jessica is none of those things. She is the voice of reason, the responsible one who knows how much is in her bank account down to the cent! I value her opinion and thoughts about matters so much, because she approaches life in such a different way than me that i know she has the answers to the questions i haven't thought of yet. She also has an amazing man in her life who is perfect for her, and stretches her- because i think he is more impulsive and feeling oriented and she is more analytical and facts oriented (and both are great). They make a good team. She also is beautiful, graceful, and a good dancer, and let me know that it was ok to think outside the box on issues.

I'm not really sure why this is what i posted about, but i am so excited to see and hang out with these girls. They are some of my most favorite people in the world! You know who sometimes people (or games or something) ask you who you would most like to have dinner with living or dead. Well i know the answer is supposed to be Jesus or someone equally famous, but i'm going to have dinner with my answer tonight!

Hannah's Dorm

So we went and took Hannah to school today (side note- sad day that my baby sister is old enough to go to college). It went remarkably well as move in days go.

However her roomate is a no show. Well she hasn't shown up yet, but maybe that means hannah can kind of pick her own roomate. Or maybe she won't come at all and she can have the room. So yeah tons of toating boxes, but not really because the cheerleaders and football players were there to help everyone carry stuff. Sad day that it was raining cats and dogs most of the time!

Basically i'm pretty tired and just wanted to say something to the greater wrld about the fact that my baby sis is growing up (hopefully she'll turn out ok). We all learn/learn so much about responsibility at school and we all need those lessons. Hopefully they will stick and the partying all night not going to class ones won't.

But right or wrong everyone must live with the choices they make, i just hope that she knows to surround herself with people that are better than her and that will motivate her to acheive more than she has already (though she is a great person already!!). I just mean that i know that my est friends were always motivating me to do things better than i would have done them on my own, not worse and i hope the same for her.

Anyway, so i hope hannah sleeps well in the otherwise empy dorms and has a good few weeks before the onslaught of school begins for her! Meanwhile-back with ME!

I'm going to go to the District office of the UMC in my hometown to get paperwork signed and have lunch with my dad and stepmom! hope all goes according to plan but don't have other plans.

love to all

-Julia

HELLO from GA!!!

YAY I made it fine to my home state! Audie dropped me off at the airport this morning just fine and my flight went awesomely well! I had a window seat and the middle one was free so that meant a TON of extra space. Awesome! I also used my Ipod to listen to great music for the whole (1 hour) flight. AND.... dan da da da(trumpet music).... I finished the Go! magazine crossword during the flight.

FINISHED it, that is awesome by the way. I only looked at the answers a few time, and only when i thought i already knew the answer. That's good by the way if you didn't know. Anyway i have to go have dinner with my family!!!

Both of my sisters are here and my parents which is cool 'cause since i got married we haven't done that.

AND tomorrow my younger sister Hannah moves to school! ACK I'm getting old, 'cause my baby sister is growing up!!

More from GA later!!

The weekend!

This was an amazing weekend, tiring but great! Saturday Audie and I had lunch with a friend of mine from LaGrange. She just moved here to Durham because her someone special is attending the Div school with me this year. It was really fun, and after an awesome lunch at Elmo's Diner, my favorite place in Durham, we did a tour of Durham for her, since she is new and all.

Then we got back to watch the Olympics for a while and then I went and babysat for a family in Chapel Hill. The kids were basically asleep the whole time, so that meant i watched the Olympics at thier house rather than mine. But the youngest, who was 11 weeks old was kind of up and down, which meant I got to hold her a LOT and it was AWESOME!! I love babies, and she was really cute!

But it was a long night i was really tired when i got home and i didn't feel well and then this morning i was pretty worn out so we didn't go to church. Which is a big downer for the day in the first place. We were really excited about going to our church in Raleigh for the first time since i was at field ed.

So more relaxing and Olmpic watching all day. I really need to pack and get ready to go to GA on Tuesday!!

-Julia

Little Lin Hao!!

Ok so i just finished watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies!! WOW!! China's was definitely one of the best i have ever seen! If they ever want to take over the USA they could just syncronize thier dance movements and we would be so in awe that they would have no problem getting passed us! But wow at the technology and coordination that went into that whole spectacle of China pride.

I cried like three times. (I'm a bit of a crier in general- one of these times was a McDonald's commercial that aired during the ceremonies) But one of them (a bit more apprpriate) was when a little boy named Lin Hao was introduced. I'm not sure if that is how you spell his name or not but he is my new favorite child and the highlight of the ceremonies!

Lin Hao walked into the stadium with Yao Ming who carried the Chinese flag in front of all their athletes. Lin Hao survived the very deadly earthquake that occured earlier this year in China. He was one of ten survivors in his 30 person class of students. But remarkabley when he freed himself from the rubble he went back and freed two more other children from his class.

When people asked him later why he went back for others, he responded by saying that he was the hall moniter and that was his job! He is nine years old. Wow, what a great kid! (ok i'm crying again-Cute little baby!!)

I just am overwhelmed by the attitude of helping others that is symbolized in his actions, that he felt a responsibility for his classmates and didn't shirk that responsibility when many would have. In fact no one would have blamed him if he hadn't gone back for others, but he in this crisis reacted with valor and courage!

I hope that my children have that same kind of courage and valor (though i also hope they never have to use it in that way). IN FACT i hope I have that kind of reaction under pressure. I'm not sure if i would or not, but this little boy gives me inspiration and i thought you might enjoy hearing the story again or for the first time.

-Julia

My Bench!

So I didn't post yesterday, but i have a great reason! my new bench that i made! We had been looking for a while for a bench to put at the bottom of the bed to use for storage and to sit on when needed. After looking and finding out how expensive that kind of thing is i decided to make on myself ans set out to find a bench i could cover.
I finally found the above coffee table at the Habitat Hand-Me-Up store for a bunch cheaper! so yesterday i had the first opportunity to go look for fabric and supplies to made it match the bedspread.

So first i covered it in about 10 layers of batting. I was going to buy foam, but it was really expensive, but this made it cushy without being to much.

Then i covered the top in this fabulous floral fabric i found and got 40% off! the teal is the color of the darkest stripe of our duvet cover and the green is also found in the duvet cover.

Then i added a box pleated green skirt that the fabric was only 1.99 a yard!


Finally i hot glued this golden rope trim to the seam in between the two fabrics.

And here it is in place!! I am so excited! It was a ton of work, but a lot of fun. I love that it coordinates but doesn't match too much. And i cost me all total about 55 bucks, as opposed to the 100 dollar version in stores, that doesn't even look this good!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Today

So I know that I said this blog was so that ya'll could keep up with our lives, but basically right now our lives are pretty boring! Sorry!

I just finished up an amazing ten weeks at an internship that I worked all summer so I'm not doing much these days. With Audie being unemployed he spends most of the day on the computer looking for new job postings, new websites with information for him and what not. I spent most of the day doing nothing when I should have been productive.

One thing that did get accomplished today was I called maintenance from our apartment complex to fix several small things that needed to be done before school gets back in and I am so busy that i won't even remember to call them. There were four things on my list:

1. install a peep hole- the apartment complex has apparently ordered a ton to install and we are now on the list to receive one. -sad day!

2. put new weather stripping on the back door- he did that pomptly, but now our door doesn't close easily anymore- headache!

3. fix the running toilet- he installed new 'guts' inside the tank- but after he left it started to run immediately again- more headaches!!

4 fix the light switch in the bathroom- he looked at it and told me that the only thing he could do was put in a new switch, but that may not fix it. I asked if he would try it anyway. two hours and four other maintenance men later.... the switch was broken, then fixed then broken again, and now it is finally fixed for real (though maybe they are just telling me that so I'll stop calling them to come do stuff) - that's a good thing at least for now!

Well the most important thing going on right now is that in one week I will be back in GA for 12 days!! My best friend (well one of them) Amber is getting married and being a great Matron of Honor I am going down to celebrate, and help do all the last minute wedding errands and projects. This also coincides with my younger sister, Hannah, moving to college, so I get to help tote all her things up to her new dorm room too!! Also Audie's sister Leah and brother-in-law just found out they are expecting a baby and they are going for their first ultrasound while I am down there. I'm really excited about being an aunt!!

I'm flying down all by myself, but then Audie is coming in just for the rehearsal dinner and wedding and then we will go back together! But we'll both get to see our respective families for a good while which is going to be awesome!! We haven't been to GA since Christmas so it is long awaited journey to the homeland!! More on all this later after the fact, and possibly pictures!

-Julia

Intro

Hi everyone! This is my new blog! I've been obsessed with several blogs recently and I keep telling Audie that i wish i could do my own. Well today I have. No real reason for starting it today, just that things have calmed down since the summer is winding down. so a bit of introductions are in order.

I'm Julia, and my husband is Audie, hence the name of the blog. We are both pretty big dorks in several ways, but you'll figure that out on your own soon, so we won't get into that.

We met now two years ago and have been married for a bit over one year! We both love being married and think that it is the coolest thing ever! We don't have any kids mostly because I am a full time student in seminary. I'm getting my Masters of Divinity, which means in about 2 years I will (hopefully) be ordained as Reverend Julia. (which is kinda scary to think about) For now Audie is unemployed, but looking hard for a graphic design job (or just one that will pay the bills until he gets one) in the Triangle area.

School starts back only three weeks from now and I'm really excited to get back in the swing of things. In theory i would like to update the blog every day (because i check my favorite ones everyday and i wish there was always something new to see) but in actuality with my busy schedule of classes, readings for classes and papers and projects for classes I'm not sure how often that will be.

Well I guess that's about it- Hope that's enough for a first post and that you'll continue to check in and see what's up!

-Julia