School's Out for Forever!!!

Well hello friends!

It's been a while since I've last posted; and A LOT has happened. I recently graduated with my master's in Speech-Language Pathology (Praise Jesus!) I have also accepted a job as a SLP at UAB's Spain Rehab (Again, Praise Jesus!). It's only a 9 month position but the experience was too good to pass up! I credit all of my accomplishments recently to my wonderful and awesome God and the prayers of all my amazing friends and family. When I look back at how everything has fallen into place, I can find comfort in knowing it was ALL God... The only part I played was following his plan for my life. I just pray I'm doing it right.

Although I had a lot to gripe and complain about over the last two years, I am so thankful for the people God placed in my life. I know I could not have made it through grad school without these girls.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of my future!

The Waterfall Braid

This post is dedicated to my dear friend Abbey Fables, who requested a new post on my blog so she could take a break from studying :) So if you really want a break from studying, try out this new hairstyle I found. It's called the waterfall braid. I'm still trying to perfect mine so I'll post a picture once it looks decent.

We have another test Thursday so maybe something exciting will happen between now and then that I can blog about, or maybe I'll come across another fun tutorial :)

God Bless!

Trust

I wrote this as a daily reminder for myself. I think these are simple truths we often forget.

Summer Fun

Many things have happened since I wrote last. One thing I am not particularl proud of is making my first B in grad school. Boo! I know that sounds a little weird but I was shooting for all A's since I went two very long semesters with perfect grades. What makes it worse was being only 2 points from an A. Anyway, I'm pretty much over it now and hopefully that will be my last B (I'm crossing my fingers and praying hard).

In other news, Jon and I made a quick visit to Nashville to see U2 in concert. It was pretty much the coolest concert I have ever been to. The set was unbelievable and obviously U2 was amazing! I only knew like 5 songs but Jon seemed to know them all. He was super pumped about going and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. I had a great time but I probably would have had even more fun if 1) we weren't packed like a can of sardines in a million degree weather; 2) the bathroom line had been a little shorter; and 3) I knew more U2 songs. Good and bad though, It was definitely an experience I will never forget and I highly recommend going to see the U2 360 tour.

Also, yesterday was the 4th of July! I didn't do much of anything except homework, eat bbq, and watch fireworks. My family, Jon, and I watched the "Thunder on the Mountain" fireworks from Highland Avenue (I definitely recommend this spot). We were able to easily get out of Birmingham and we had a perfect view of the Vulcan. I definitely got my fill of patriotic songs and America love, I mean, who doesn't love that once a year?

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! God Bless!

Thank You God for Air Conditioning

Today is June 5, 2011. Today my air conditioner broke. Today has also brought 100 degree weather. I could've stayed at my parent's house but of course clinic begins tomorrow and I really needed to prepare. Therefore, right now I am sitting in an apartment that is 94 degrees trying to get some relief from my ceiling fan I have set on high. Even though I am completely miserable right now, this has reminded me how much we take for granted. Having a working air conditioner during a southern summer is serisouly a gift from God; however, it goes unnoticed until it fails on a day when it is needed, like today for instance. Then I think about people who do not have an air conditioner and how much of a luxury it actually is. Unfortunately, I think we take many things for granted. A roof over our head, food to eat, and clothes to wear are all things we know to be thankful for but do we ever really stop and thank God for providing them? And since I started thinking about it, I also realized how blessed I am to have a supportive family and what looks to be a promising future. Why did God choose me to be so lucky when so many others struggle day to day to have the basic essentials? So... I guess a broken air conditioner is God's way of telling me to be grateful for every little thing he has blessed me with because you never know when it could be taken away.

Also, Jon is back from Brazil!!! Yay! So happy :)

Love This Song!

I stumbled upon this song by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on iTunes today. After doing some googleing, I found out Jason is actually from northern Alabama, which is where he gets a lot of the inspiration for his songs.  I love finding new artists and I love it even more when I find out they're from Alabama! The song is called "Alabama Pines".

Enjoy!

Ps, I've had a lot of time to browse new music since Jon has been in Brazil. I never realized how much of my time he took up! (Not that I mind too much)

The True Life of a Southern Belle

In your opinion, what makes someone a true southerner?

"The South: The place where tea is sweet and accents are sweeter, Summer starts in April, Macaroni and Cheese is a vegetable, front porches are wide and words are long, pecan pie is a staple, Y'all is the only proper noun, chicken is fried and biscuits come with gravy, everything is darlin', and someone's heart is always being blessed.

"When life gives you lemons, put them in your sweet tea and thank God you're a Southern Belle."

I love being southern and I love being from Alabama, even though the dearest of friends can become intense rivals during football season. There is unspoken, yet very noticeable, tension from the beginning of the season until the infamous Iron Bowl is played. War Eagle! (Had to throw that in there...) And even then the tension continues as certain fans feel the need to brag about their team's victory. However, despite the intense football rivalry, which I believe is the best and worst in the nation, you will never find anyone more proud to live in their state than the residents of Sleepy Sweet Home Alabama, and last month's devastating storms proved that the great people of this state are more than willing to help others in times of trouble. As a proud Alabamian, one of my favorite things is telling someone I am from Birmingham, AL. "But you don't look like you're from Alabama!" is usually the response I get in return. To which I casually ask, "Is it because I'm wearing shoes and have all of my teeth?" :) All of this is to say: I wouldn't trade being southern for anything!

Also, as a self-confessed Southern Belle and from my many observations at the wonderful Auburn University, I find most of the following to be true:

A Southern Belle:

1. Keeps her lips sealed, but her eyes and ears wide open.
2. Knows the most important man to love, besides Jesus, is her daddy.
3. Knows rudeness and ignorance go hand in hand, and is never EITHER one.
4. Is born and raised at the local country club.
5. Has a family name, a string of pearls, momma's good looks, and daddy's money.
6. Acts helpless and confused when it's to her advantage; she never lets them know how clever/capable she really is.
7. Always sends thank you notes, a necessary component of being gracious.
8. Has a signature silver and Vera Bradley pattern.
9. Can properly plan/give a party, always includes a theme, and never forgets the importance of birthdays.
10. Monograms everything.
11. Can either be a Scarlet O'Hara type or a Melanie Wilkes type. Both are acceptable.
12. Doesn't get mad, but does get even.
13. Is a Jackie, not a Marilyn.
14. Deals with problems in a discreet and graceful manner.
15. Knows a wedding is the most important party that can ever be thrown.
16. Doesn't drink, but does sip (a lot), and never smokes.
17. Appreciates Sundays for church, porch swingin', and perfecting the art of sweet tea and fryin' things.
18. Knows nothing too easy or done too quickly can ever be right. It takes time to create perfection, whether it's sweet tea or her hair.
19. Knows REAL southern belles come from the REAL South, which is Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Just sayin' :)
20. Dresses like she may see her worst enemy or her ex-boyfriend. In which case, she kills them kindness.
21. Knows ballet class is the first place where a girl learns to sparkle.
22. Can charmingly tell someone off. When done correctly, people will be so charmed they will not realize until much later what was actually said.
23. Is always ready to share the news (but keeps the family secrets).
24. Is always ready to help and volunteer.
25. Never discusses money. It is awkward and inapporpriate.
26. Always dresses appropriately.
27. Showers others with affection and expects nothing in return.
28. Values antiques, time, chivalry, and family traditions over money.
29. Knows how to entertain and cook. She has a pitcher of iced tea and yummy sweets prepared for her family as well as unexpected guests.
30. Knows all the words to Lynrd Skynrd's "Sweet Home Alabama".
31. Is kind, considerate, educated, graceful, witty, charming, soft spoken, and above all, always a lady.
32. Believes manners are not optional.
33. Understands when someone dies, the first thing you do is start cooking for their relatives.
34. Believes if you can leave the house in less than 30 minutes, you probably shouldn't be leaving the house at all.
35. Closes the door to keep the mosquitoes out.
36. Asks for a "coke" but does not always mean a coca-cola.
37. Knows the art of dressing up on gameday.
38. LOVES SEC football.
39. Holds tradition close to her heart but does not allow it to define her.
40. Gets offended if you don't hear her accent.
41. Knows chivalry isn't really dead.
42. Wears flip-flops all year long.
43. Makes sure her neighbors never go hungry.
44. Never spits... anything.
45. Can wear pearls with every outfit.