Thankful

I have so much to be thankful for this year. Every year I realize more and more how incredibly blessed I am. I really can’t even put it into words.

This year, Thanksgiving plans came with a solemn surprise. My grandpa had Parkinson’s for the past few years and it had gotten drastically worse this past month. He passed away Tuesday morning and went home to meet Jesus in heaven that day. Needless to say, we quickly rearranged our plans and traveled to Jersey to spend time with family for the holiday.

Let me just say, I am so blessed and so thankful to have an incredible family. Despite the circumstances it was wonderful to have the whole Domashovetz clan together to celebrate my grandpa’s life. At a seemingly somber time, we rejoiced because my grandpa was a strongly faithful man and fiercely loved the Lord. He spent his life ministering to those all across Ukraine and upholding a Ukrainian church in Jersey, proclaiming truth to everyone he met. In that we know that as he entered the gates of heaven Tuesday morning, the Lord whispered, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” To see the effect of the unswerving faith of my grandparents on my family is phenomenal. I can only pray that one day each one of my family members will come to know the joy and peace of mind that I have in Christ. My grandfather’s wish was that at his funeral that his life would be a testimony to those who do not believe. And he got his wish.

Praise the Lord for an amazing celebration of life and thanksgiving. I cannot be thankful enough to live the life that I have with the multitude of blessings that come to me with each passing day.

I’m thankful for the life and witness of Volodymyr Domoshovetz, my dear grandfather.
I’m thankful to have a phenomenal family to care for me.
I’m thankful for growing up in a loving home.
I’m thankful for parents who love me unconditionally.
I’m thankful to have my sister as my best friend.
I’m thankful to have a roof over my head.
I’m thankful to have food on my table each night.
I’m thankful to have an opportunity to get an education.
I’m thankful for the freedoms we have in America.
I’m thankful that Christ came to die for my sin that I may have eternal life.
I’m thankful for a mouth to speak my mind, hands that allow me do incredible works, and legs that let me run through each day of my life.
I’m thankful for dear, sweet friends who daily transform and encourage my life.
I’m thankful for people who have come and gone throughout my life that have challenged me to grow and helped mold me into the person I am today.
I’m thankful for my beauty and the honor to be called the “crown of creation.”
I’m thankful for the inexpressible beauty of creation that God has created for me to enjoy.
I’m thankful to have the honor of being a Young Life leader.
I’m thankful for the numerous blessings I have received from my Young Life family.
I’m thankful for my high school friends at D.H. Conley.
I’m thankful to live in America where I have more riches and opportunities than I could ever understand.

And with many more, I am most certainly thankful.





“Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name,
for the Lord is good...”
~Psalm 100:4

Fullness

Finally, I have a moment to update on my life. The past weeks since camp have been so full--full in the sense that my life is a cup overflowing and spilling over the brim! Rockbridge was incredible! I had a cabin of 9 wonderful girls and we had a blast together singing our hearts out at club, laughing our heads off at program, freezing down the zip line, braving the quantum leap, sharing our broken hearts during cabin time…I really could go on forever. I can’t quite explain my fullness and I definitely feel that I do not deserve the blessings in my life lately. Slowly, I’ve been learning to look for God in everything, a challenge that I’ve put strongly on my heart. Perhaps I am blessed because God show’s himself and his glory everywhere (whether we choose to see him or not) and just maybe I have gotten just a glimpse of that.







Last week after Campaigners I was so filled by God and how he worked through my girls that morning, but I was still pouring my heart out about how I have no idea where my future will lead even though I think I have it all planned out...will I get into PT school? Will I ever find a boy to love?! Will I be able to see my precious sophomore girls graduate?! Will I make it through life?! So I prayed, “Lord I need you to guide me. Show me what your will is for my life.” Then two seconds later, the song You Never Let Go came on the radio singing, "Oh Lord you never let go...Lord, you never let go of me." God was whispering, "Sandy, I am right here holding you in my arms. Trust me. I am here for you." I mean, wow. I can almost see God looking down on us lovingly shaking his head and kindly laughing at the mess of life that we make and then patiently waiting on us to call on his name once we figure out that we can’t do it on our own. It’s comforting to know that God is always in control.

Much has come and gone in my life in a mere two weeks, but perhaps the yearnings of my heart are more important to share at the moment. I was excited to have a slow week and do practically nothing, but it’s coming back to bite me in the butt with how much I’m going to have to do this upcoming week. But the end of the semester is near…can you believe it?! I’m hanging in there, trying my best to trust God with every step.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow at 4pm we leave for Rockbridge, a beautiful Young Life camp nestled in the mountains of Goshen, Virginia. I cannot believe the day is just about here and I couldn’t be more excited. We have 36 kids from D.H. Conley with us and almost 200 kids from Pitt County overall! The weekend is going to fly by and we’ll leave drained and exhausted, but I have no doubt that my high school friends and I will come home having experienced the best weekend of our lives.

It’s been an extraordinarily busy week, as usual, and I know the devil is using that against me, trying his best to wear me down, but despite my schedule, I know that momentary darkness has no foothold over the light of my life. Somehow, I am so emotionally and spiritually filled and have such joy in knowing that BIG things are going to happen at Rockbridge. I’m pumped for the way God is going to work, getting away from the mess here in Greenville, just hanging out with my high school friends, and experiencing the presence of God together.

Please be praying for us...for a safe 6 hr. long bus ride, for much needed energy and excitement, patience and wisdom, for the speakers, music, skits, activities, and cabin time, for sweet time shared with each other, to keep rain away Saturday, and just for an absolutely incredible weekend. It’s gonna be awesome.

Break

Oh my goodness, it is great to finally get a break! I’ve been going full force the past couple of weeks and it has just about worn me out. I got a new job as a server at a new Italian restaurant in town (I haven’t dropped food on anyone…yet). I’m babysitting some on the side, too. Young Life at Conley and in Pitt County overall is going strong. Many exciting things are happening as we anticipate fall camp in a few weeks (SO excited!). I still hate Physics with a passion, but my other classes are going well. And I’ve also been able to spend precious time with friends, go for a few great runs, watch a couple movies, and take lovely naps in between, all of which are some of my favorite times of the week.

I feel like I always mention how busy my life is. Yes, it can get crazy and I really hate that sometimes. Life never really seems to slow down when I want it to. In the past three days I failed a Physics exam, went to lunch at Lopaus with Lynn, worked at the restaurant, went to the YL workday, drove to Raleigh, worked at Starbucks, slept, worked, hung out with Laina and went to Mellow Mushroom (Yum!), and worked again. Seriously?! I’m on fall break…so, where’s my break?! Whew! I was just talking to a friend a few days ago about how much we must rely on Christ during such hectic times of our life. The second we look away from Christ, our Strength and our Refuge, we become exhausted and drained. If we keep our eyes on Christ, He somehow gives us energy and motivation to get through each day and then blesses us with time of rest and solitude when we need it most. It could not be truer of my own life.

Let me just say, despite all the craziness and fun that Greenville brings, it is SO sweet to be home. There really is no place like home…a place so familiar, warm, and full of love. Mmm. And fortunately, my official break starts today and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m not working and have left the next two days open for whatever comes my way. Time to re-charge and refresh…

Fall Break Rest and Relaxation List::
*sleep in!!
*make a delicious brunch
*go for a long run
*get flu shot
*wash car
*solitude with Jesus
*read Dear John
*practice guitar
*update music
*find plane tickets for Colorado
*shopping with Mom
*movie date with Dad
*hang out with Lacey
:)



"My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him."
~Psalm 62:1

Be Still

I'm sitting here with a hot cup of my favorite tea with my voice practically gone and a cold thriving in my head. Although not seemingly an ideal situation, a friend pointed out to me today that I get a chance to listen more than I'm used to, such to appreciate the beauty of being quiet.

With the craziness that my life brings, it's not often I do sit down to listen and reflect. But there have been many times so far this semester where I'm learning to appreciate solitude and to listen to what my body/heart tells me. So far this year, many things have already happened. I feel that time flies faster than I can keep up with sometimes. My schedule is nearly in full swing, my first set of exams halfway through, I'm in the mist of job-hunting, ECU football is off to an incredible start, and even yesterday Young Life club was started off with Greenville's largest ice cream sundae! Oh my, it's been crazy fun.

A few weekends ago Pitt County Young Life leaders made a get-away to the beach for the weekend. There I got the chance to sit on a rooftop and stargaze, letting God amaze me with the wonders of space. I was able to look out into the ocean, the waves crashing, and wonder how deep the love of the Father is for me. And my favorite part was the morning where we reflected on our lives and the things and people that have shaped us.

There really are no such things as consciences (as the beautiful Katie Smith has previously mentioned). It's absolutely amazing to look back and see what I've been through and what I've become because of it. I have grown immensely through the struggles and trials that life has thrown at me. People have come into my life and taught me what relationships should look like, all sorts of life lessons, and provided deep friendship. God is SUCH a mastermind in orchestrating every aspect of my life for a reason--reasonings far outside my understanding. The catastrophic events, the minute details--all of it!And somehow it works out into some sort of perfection, into a work of art. I've never really looked at my life in such a way until now.

At this point in my life, I really just have to trust God in what He has in store for me. My college career is nearly half over, friendships constantly blossoming, my future husband is still unrevealed, and new and unexpected things happen to me on a daily basis. Perhaps the best is yet to come. I don't know. I'm terrible at taking things one day at a time. I'm a crazy listmaker with my whole weeks planned out. Maybe I need to learn more about being still and letting God take control...the beauty of a quiet heart. Hmm.

"Be still and know that I am God."
~Psalm 46:10

Fall To-Do

Fall To-Do List:

Live love.

Love others; love Jesus more.

Learn more of what it means to be selfless.

Push limits; step outside my comfort zone and into God’s.

Get a 4.0 GPA for the semester.

Keep on top of schoolwork; study hard.

Save, invest, & spend wisely.

Try out new recipes.

Get a job as a PT Aid.

Read as much as possible outside schoolwork.

Study for the GRE.

Continue PT observation hours (40+).

Pour Jesus out onto my high school friends at Conley.

Work with the sports trainer at Conley once a week.

Start a campaigner group.

Get in the Word everyday.

Pray.

Memorize verses.

Send letters/emails to friends often.

Stay healthy; keep mind refreshed, eat well, workout often.

Get enough rest each night.

Listen to my body.

Train for the Raleigh Oaks ½ Marathon.

Visit Katie at Wingate and Anna in Georgia.

Go to Colorado & ski.

:]

End of Summer

It has been an incredible summer, probably one of my best--Jersey and NYC, visiting Greenville, good times working at Starbucks, SharpTop Cove, beach trips with the family, hanging out with great friends, disc golf, movie nights, ice cream, watermelon, Carowinds…all sorts of wonderful things. I don’t understand why, but my life continues to blossom as the years go by.

The past few weeks have been an insane way to end my summer when all I truly desire is solitude and time for myself, but I’ve been productive and had a blast despite my busy schedule. Last Tuesday I made a quick trip to Greenville with Ashley and saw our new place. One word—awesome. Then last weekend a few of us went camping at Falls Lake. We set up a sweet campsite, swam across the lake, went cliff jumping, skipped rocks, did a little hiking, cooked hot dogs and made s’mores, played hot seat, and spent some quality time together. I always enjoy camping. Great times with some of my favorite people

Today felt wonderful outside, despite the drizzle. It was also the first morning I had to myself with no agenda outside of work, traveling, and PT in a while. I had a lovely breakfast with my best friend, which is one of my favorite things in the world. Then I went for a great run with my dad and had some time to clear my mind. This amazing song came on my iPod, one of my favorites. This song so very clearly states the nature of my heart at the moment, so here I will share, since Shawn MacDonald does a pretty accurate job of explaining the desire thriving in my soul…

Take My Hand
Shawn MacDonald

Take my hand to the promise land
And on You I want to stand
Cause I cannot do it on my own
You're what I need and I need to be
Right by Your side cause I cannot hide
Lord, I know that I need You

Without You I'm so alone
I am weak but You are strong
You pick me up when I'm falling down
And I am crying
Out to You inside of my heart
I need You, Lord, oh so, for the part
I want You to have my life, Jesus
I fall to my knees
And I'm begging You, please, oh, Lord
Won't You change me
Make me new from the inside out
I want to shout out Your name

Amen.

Whew!

What a crazy week! The last weeks of my summer have been and will be filled with work and physical therapy observation. Work is the same old thing, but I'm loving my PT observation. I hate that so many opportunities came up so late in the summer and I'm killing myself to get lots of hours in, but I'm still grateful for them none-the-less. It only proves that this is what I want to spend my life doing, Lord willing. We'll see how it goes. One day at a time.

Although I had some fun last weekend. 7 of us from Raleigh went to visit our good ol' friend, Mike, in Concord for the weekend. We had good times. We ate some delicious enchiladas upon our arrival, went and frolicked around Carowinds for a day, crashed after being super tired, went crazy when Baird and Aaron visited for a few hours, went to a huge church, took a million pictures, hung around the pool, and drove home. Mmm, it was a lovely weekend, indeed.

I also got to hang out with my dear friend Laina this week. We went to Paint Your Own and painted things. I painted something for the room and Laina helped the girls she babysits. It's always wonderful to catch up with her. We go all the way back to 8th grade and still manage to find time to get together every now and then.

Did I mention the fact that I have the greatest friends on the universe? Well, I do.

I cannot believe I only have two weeks before I move back to Greenville! I'm pumped about our new place and my amazing roommates and my 15 or so other friends who are all practically my neighbors! It's going to be a fun year. I hate how I'm cramming everything and everyone in before that time, but I guess that's just how it ended up working. I think that's part of Satan's tactic, keeping us so busy that we loose sight of Christ. He's really good at that, too. How often do we sit down from our crazy lives and just stop and think with no distractions? Not often enough. I'm so busy I haven't made time to sit down in the Word consistently by any means. For instance today, I opened at Starbucks, did 5 hours of PT observation, went to the mall, and basically crashed until I realized wow, it's 10pm...I've been sleeping all afternoon. I'm still so filled from the blessings I saw at camp that my faith is no where near lost, it's just often shoved to the back of my mind. I think I need to work on that.

I'm ready for a fresh start of the semester. Not the school part so much, but at least this is the point where it gets interesting--lots of classes I will enjoy, the fellowship of FCA, ultimate frisbee at the bottom of the hill, mornings of coffee and a bible study with the roomies, getting to hang out with my wonderful Young Life girls and my fabulous fellow leaders, and all sorts of fun weekends and trips. It's gonna be a good one...I can't wait!

:)

Wow...

That’s the best way to sum up the last week of my life. Sharptop Cove was INCREDIBLE. They weren’t kidding when they said it would be the best week of your life.

It was a long bus ride there, but the fun began the moment we stepped off the bus. All sorts of fun events happened throughout the week: a muddy, nighttime obstacle course, a volleyball tournament where everyone dressed up in wild costumes, the Pool Olympics, the rodeo, cabin challenge, 1890s hoe-down, hike to the top of SharpTop Mountain, the banquet, and a huge last dinner feast. During our hours of free time we ventured to the slide, zipline, swing, frisbee golf, repelling wall, quantum leap, high ropes course, bead barn, and just hanging out by the pool. There was SO much that happened all week--I could go on for days sharing about our sweet time going crazy and having a blast together.

But most importantly our high school friends, over 400 in all, got to see a glimpse of Christ for who he is and heard the gospel in a new and real way. 16 kids from Pitt County came home from camp making commitments to Christ, including one of my girls! I feel that there is nothing more beautiful in the entire universe than watching someone come from death in sin to life in Christ. Amen for the great things Christ did at camp this past week. I have to say it was one of the most physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining things I’ve been through, but also one of the most fun and thrilling weeks of my life. It was absolutely amazing to grow closer and be encouraged by the other wonderful Pitt County leaders, getting to know my high school friends on a deeper level, and experiencing all sorts of pure joy all week long. It’s bittersweet to be home because it’s hard to leave such a beautiful, holy place, but it’s also good to be back in my own bed. I’m slowly but surely catching up on the lost energy from the past week.

This week it’s back to work a bit and getting in a ton of physical therapy observation hours. Welcome back to the real world…

Btw, anyone a Carolina Hurricanes fan? I got to watch Rod Brind’Amour, Chad LaRose, and Shane Willis workout while I was observing physical therapy this morning. Pretty cool. Too bad I’m not much of a hockey fan.

<3

Relax

Sunday I was able to go to church for the first time in weeks. In Sunday school we talked about Creationism. It saddens me that the world believes the lie of evolution, that all beautiful things that we see were evolved from a random formulated chemical combustion. Where is the purpose of life then? How do you account for the fine-tuned intricacy of the human body or unique properties of nature or the emotions that plague our souls from day to day? Caused by randomness with no plan or designer. It just happened by chance. Now, I'm no scholar but I still cannot find the truth in such a belief. Creationism is shoved aside because people are unwilling to face a Creator and are only left to cling to such false truths. This week I've truly been able to look at the world in new eyes and newfound purpose in my daily living. It was a refreshing morning for my soul.

Sunday night we were able to celebrate Lacey's birthday at Chili's. We humiliated her by having the staff sing to her and as a result got free sweet shots. Awesome. I'm so blessed that Lacey has been my bestest best sister best friend for 12 of her beautiful years of life. We were SO cool back in elementary school, let me tell you. Haha. After dinner, Lacey, Laur, and I went to the Line's house in the middle of freaking nowhere for the night, where Quinny had been house sitting all week. We watched the Disney Channel, Harry Potter, then got a little freaked out from the complete silence around the house before we went to bed. Good times. In the morning, Quinny had errands to run, so Laur, Lace, and I got breakfast. Breakfast always makes me happy and is by far my favorite meal of the day.

Monday I had the whole day off, so I was fairly productive in cleaning and read a whole lot. I made plans to eat delicious salad at Jason's Deli with my lovely friend, Corinne, who I hadn't seen in forever. We had a lovely long talk catching up on our lives from the past year. I love being home for the summer and getting a chance to catch up with old friends.

It must be the Lord's blessing that I'm not working much this week. Typically I'd wish to have more hours, but this week I'm certainly going to need the rest. Pitt County Young Life is heading to SharpTop Cove in Georgia next week! I'm SO excited about it. I know we're going to have a blast at there and watch God do amazing things...if it crosses your mind, pray for Pitt County leaders and kids next week. I really cannot believe how fast the summer is flying! I thought camp would never get here, but we'll be going next week, and in just over a month and I'll be moving into my beautiful townhouse with three lovely roommates! It's been nice to relax and take some time for myself and friends instead of working constantly. I often need to remind myself there's more to life than work and success. Mmm, oh life.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
~Psalm 19:1

Freedom

I can't say many interesting things have happened this week. Today is even July 4th and I'll be working two shifts totaling 11 hours (time and a half!). Although there will be no big celebration, I bought some sparklers and I'm pretty excited about them.

Earlier this week I got to hang out with my beautiful friend, Heather, and my lovely sister, Laur. We had plans to cook and watch a movie, but we ended up deciding on Subway and chatting at Starbucks instead. I love hanging out with everyone but it's always a pleasure to get in some girl time.

Our internet was down for a few days, leading me to do more productive things. So, in all my free time I've been pouring through pioneer-time Christian romance novels. Lame to some, but I find them rather enthralling. Unlike the sex-driven secular novels, these men faithfully and honorably pursue their women. The couples seek the Lord to guide their hearts and their relationships. It's a beautiful thing, really, especially in comparison to all the broken relationships we see around us today.

Anyway, it's funny how they can be such an encouragement to my heart. Oftentimes they are laden with scripture. One novel lead me to this verse that has been imprinted on my mind all week:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him
and he will make your paths straight."
~Proverbs 3:5

I have a lot on my heart right now, but not quite sure how to share just yet. I'll let the words speak for themselves, which is probably better than anything I could say...

I think I might go read some, then take a nap before I'm back to work again....Happy July 4th!

Wake Up

This morning was pleasant...or should I say afternoon? I knew I could sleep in today so I stayed up talking to Bryan and then reading until 3am only to sleep in until 11:30am. I love sleeping in. I really wish I was a morning person, but I'm not. Of course random work hours everyday make it impossible to regulate my body clock over the summer, too. Oh well.

I've been reading the paper every day and that's made me feel more insightful about the world I live in. Additionally, last night I picked up my bible to seriously read for the first time in weeks (ouch). I know this is the reason behind my poor attitude, apathy, and mood swings lately--I'm sure my family can attest to this. I was just talking to Heather the other day about how not seeking God daily just seems to produce a bad day and a flat-out terrible attitude. I've been thankful that my prayer life has thrived over the summer as I'm constantly remembering my friends traveling overseas, my high school friends in Greenville, and desperately asking for Christ to capture my heart again, yet still, prayer alone will not sustain me. It was so incredibly sweet to have that precious time reading the Word last night. The Word was truly water to my soul after my heart has been so dry lately.

Anyway, Andy had told me that Romans 14:2 reminded him of me:

"One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man,
whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables."

Funny, right? I wonder if that's God's away of telling me not be vegetarian... ;)

Well, I'm thankful for sleeping in, dear friends to constantly remind me about Christ, and for tasty vegetables. :)

I'm off to go for a quick run before I have to go to work. We re-opening our Starbucks tomorrow after being closed for two weeks for major renovations. It looks amazinggg! Ta-ta for now.

Good Friends

Yesterday was a fun day. I worked in the morning then went running around noon (when it's blazing hot outside...smart, right?). I tried out a new path, got lost, and ended up running forever, missing lunch at the mall with Mike and Bryan, who were visiting on the way back from Greenville. But I met up with them later along with Heather, Laur, and Quinn and we had good times frolicking around the mall. The boys left and we regrouped at my house to hang out with Baird, who was driving through town as well! Lacey and Yaron love Baird, too, so they came by. It was lovely to see my Greenville friends. I miss them lots.

After Baird peaced out, we were starving and went to eat at The Carolina Ale House, ventured around Target, and went to see Wall-e. Wall-e was SO cute!

So if you haven't figured it out already, I have incredibly awesome friends and I'm so blessed by each one of them! From Jersey, Raleigh, ECU, YoungLife...all over the place! I really do feel like I have some of the best friends in the universe. I love you all dearly; you know who you are. <3

Sometimes I feel hesitant to share every stupid, little detail of my life here because in the grand scheme of things it seems so minuscule, but maybe I do because it's just fun to share life with people you love (or whoever reads this thing). Also because I'm a poser of Baird, Mike, & Heather ;). On top of that, I already talk too much and this blogger will prove it well. Haha. I'm sure more inquisitive thoughts will venture here eventually, hopefully. We shall see...

Bagels, NYC, and OHOP

So our trip to Jersey has come close to the end. We venture back to sweet North Carolina early tomorrow morning. It's been loads of fun, as always. It's always a pleasure to spend time with family and friends here and always brings back memories.

Friday afternoon we had a long-awaited lunch at Livingston Bagel with Avi and Oreo. We had been preparing for this trip at least 6 months ago through our conversations on Facebook. Avi recommended his favorite tuna salad on bagel so that was what I got. Yum. That's one of the things missing from the south...good bagels, delis, and bakeries. We ended up sitting there catching up on life for three hours. Of course, with those two, we could probably sit there forever. Haha. The night was spent hanging out with our family, eating tasty Jersey pizza, and watching Transformers. A great start to day one of our trip.

Yesterday we ventured into New York City with our Jersey boys: Alex, Adam, and Oreo (minus Avi...sad). The city is only 40 or so minutes from Livingston. We usually go in at least once a year with our dad, but this time we took a new route with our native city-goer, Alex, who goes to NYU. We started off walking down Wall Street, SoHo, and then took the Subway to Southport and ate some lemon Italian ice while admiring the East River. Then we went to down to Canal Street where we made the boys suffer as we searched for new "designer" purses. After all that shopping we ate a late lunch on Broadway. I'm not sure where we ate but they served water in wine bottles and my tiny watercress, pear, and gorgonzola salad cost $10. Pretty nice. Our last stop of the day was at The Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker St. where their cupcakes are famously-known. I ended up with a mini-pumpkin cheesecake and let me tell you--we were all on a sweet sugar high on the ride home. Haha. I love the city...it's always so much fun, always new sights to see. Our whole family got together that night for a cookout. Friends, family, and food--the three F's that usually sums up our trip to Jersey. Haha.

I started our last day with a nice long run around the Circle before going to OHOP with all the boys. I can never say no to a breakfast meal at any time of the day. Later today we'll spend time with our grandparents and go out to a lovely Italian dinner, before we have to come back to my aunt's house, spend some more time with our cousins, pack up, and get some rest before our early departure.

It's been fun. So long, Jersey...see you again soon.

"We are from Jersey. Not New Jersey, just Jersey.
We say "yo" and we say it often.
We curse a lot.
We sure as hell don't pump our own gas.
We know what real pizza tastes like,
and we know that a bagel is much more than a roll wit a hole in the middle.
We judge people by what exit they are off the parkway or by what mall they live closest to.
We drive SUVs and we tailgate any chance we get.
We can navigate a circle with attitude.
All good nights must end in a diner, preferably with cheese fries.
I have a dawg, and I drink cawfee.
We don't go to the beach, we go down to the shore...
and New York City, is "the city."
We know 65 mph means 80 mph."

So true. Haha.

Wishes

We got to Jersey safe and sound this afternoon. It was one of our quickest trips! Just hanging out with my cousins now--TJ who's 10 and Lindsey who's 6. They're so much fun. We just played Candyland and are watching Spongebob now. Haha. Brings back great memories.

I leave you with my summer to-do list. Guess I can cross off travel now:

SUMMER TO-DO LIST 2008

Spend lots of time outdoors.

Get better at disc golf.

Complete more physical therapy job observations.

Memorize muscles of the body.

Memorize vitamins and minerals.

Keep up with online class.

Expand my vocabulary.

Re-read Knowing God.

Read lots.

Finish studying Psalms.

Pray for friends traveling overseas/missions trips.

Visit Greenville a few times.

Keep in touch with friends over the summer.

Write lots of letters/postcards.

Catch up with old friends.

Avoid sunburn and skin cancer.

Travel places.

Study for the GRE everyday.

Keep up with online summer class.

Keep personal spending to a minimum.

Work hard and save up.

Eat watermelon, strawberries, and popsicles.

Swim.

Run most days of the week.

Train for the Raleigh Oaks Half Marathon.

Go to the beach.

Go to Carowinds.

Play laser tag.

Get a $20 massage.

Learn to cook.

Drink lots of iced tea.

Spend time with friends.

Enjoy life.

Live love.

:)

From our trip to the Jersey shore last year.

Fresh

So, in attempt to start journaling my thoughts and meanderings more, I created this blogger. I had a Xanga for years and it's really funny to look back upon, but maybe it's time to start something fresh, something new.

Here we go...

Tomorrow we head out to Jersey bright and early in the morning to embark on our typical 8 hour drive. I'm defintely excited spend time with family and see my Jersey boys. I only wish our stay would be longer...we have to squeeze so much into three days! That's summer in general, really, trying to relax, vacation, hang out with friends, all over the course of three short months. I'm excited to start my junior year of college and all the fun that will come with that, but summer always flies by too fast. It's so great to be home, work, soak up the sun, and not have to worry about school. Ah, sweet summer time. I love it. Anyway, I'm off to pack!