Lots has happened..it seems like forever since I last wrote.  Tim left Thursday to go to Charleston to Coleman's bachelor party. I went to small group dinner at K Cafe, worked Friday, then girls night with small group girls.  Worked Saturday, and at least the positive here was it was a rainy, dreary day...so great day to get up and go to work then come home and nap! Tim came home Saturday around 3 and we napped together!  Then, went to Amy and Alan in small group's house for appetizers, then to dinner at Robinhood Tavern in Cumming. We liked the food. I had a BIG burger and it was good!
   Sunday, we went to North Point, and enjoyed the sermon and singing.  We say "It is well with my soul"---and oh was it good. And I just felt that is what my song in my heart needs to be right now....in the happy times of moving and in the harder times...it is WELL with my soul. Praise the Lord, oh my soul.  May we never forget his benefits towards us. 
   Sunday afternoon, we rented 2 movies!  First, we watched The Switch with Jennifer Aniston--loved it! Then went to the gym, and came back with Applebee's and watched Morning Glory, and loved it too. 
    Last night, another MOnday night dinner...makes MOndays so so much better.  We met up with Ashley and Rob, and other friends from group--Esther and Paul.  We went to a viatmanese place right near our apartment.  It was very good.  I got the vegetable stir fry...it had tofu in it! I had never really had tofu, and I enjoyed it.  The whole meal was very filling, but didn't seem so unhealthy and make me feel all bloated.
    Here are pics from the weekend.  Then I will highlight 2 people from our small group.  And will highlight others later.

6 different kinds of ice cream!

 HIghlight:  Deb.  Deb is a very cool lady.  She is married to Ken.  Apparently, they live in an awesome house with a wine cellar that Ken built.  Wow.  Deb would probably kill me, but this is one of my favorite things about her...she is 51!  And so young seeming and cool and loves God.  I loved this picture because she is drinking a Corona.  I like that b/c 1. it is good beer, and 2. for girls night there were to be margaritas, and I packed my own wine and beer, and so did Deb.  Her stories are so neat.  She calls herself "vintage" and I Love it!  Her clothes are very in style and sometimes hippie like, sometimes not.  She is always nice and remembers to ask about me...like when I started my new job. She loves dogs.  She likes hiking and wine.  These are things I know about her that I like. 

the boys in Folly Beach

the gator Tim saw while golfing

 Highlight 2: Amy.  Amy is married to Alan.  We have hung out twice.  We had  green beer with them on St Patrick's Day and Sat. we did apps and supper with them. They are from Ohio, and have been here in Atlanta 6 years.  Amy would also kill me, but she is 31! I love it.  She and Alan really enjoy running half marathons, and now they are training for a full.  Way to go them.  This is her kitchen, it is gorgeous.  They did it themselves!!!! She works at Lowes in Human resources...but I think working there got to her! :)  But, they have 2 dogs that are definitely like their children. Picture of one below.  I love Amy and Alan b/c I think they have a great love and friendship between the 2 of them.  You can just tell it being with them...Amy had to work Sat. am and Alan got up to iron her shirt before she had to go to work...mind you it was a Sat. and alan didn't have to work...that is nice!  That is something Tim would do for me, so that makes me really like them.  I love that they are from the upper Midwest.  They are cooler b/c of that.  They say Tim and I have accents! They are also cool b/c they drink just like we do--a glass of wine or beer and in moderation, but likes to have a good time. 

 This is Amy and Alan's dog/child, Riley.  This is seriously his blanket! They said he carries it around with him all the time, just like a child does!!! It was the cutest and most unique thing I have ever seen a dog do! 

Sunday morning before church with my new Starbucks Atlanta mug.  I love this mug.

new hair for spring

Got my hair cut Saturday.  It is much shorter than it was supposed to be...but I am dealing and getting used to it.  Tim loves it--that is great! He makes me feel confident.  He says I'm hot with it short and he likes it even better than long!  What a great husband I have, such freedom.  So here's a few pics.  The one on the stairs I wanted Tim to take b/c it reminded me  of a good memory.  When we were dating, and both at Clemson, but Tim lived at home his last semester...we hung out in Seneca at his parents all the time!  We had the whole upstairs to ourselves all the time, and Gloria cooked supper..great times.  And Sundays we would go to church in Seneca, eat lunch there, and go upstairs to nap on the couches in the den with a movie on---and on the way up those stairs, Tim would act kind of like a monster about to get me!  And he did it Sunday, and I thought of our good playful times.

happy late St Patrick's Day

What a great St Patrick's Day!  I was off and never even wore green!  I woke up leisurely, had coffee and breakfast, shopped a bit, then got to the gym for 12:00 Barbell Strength.  Then I met 2 girls from small group for lunch at Chiptole.  I loved getting to have lunch with girls leisurely in the middle of the week. And I have never been to Chiptole, and have been meaning to go for 2 years!  And it was soooo goood.....Tim will have to go very soon!  I had the burrito bowl--filled with rice with lime and cilantro (the best), black beans, salsa, chicken, roasted corn, sour cream, and cheese...OH MY.  And it didn't feel too heavy, it was just perfect. 
  Then...it was beautiful and sunny--I was driving with the windows down all day with Jimmy Buffett playing--dreaming of Floridays!  So, got home and went to the pool!!!! And got to lay out in the sun for an hour and half!!It was great! 
   Then, fixed my brownies for small group and made supper before we had to go....I tried to be creative, but it ended up just being a green dot.  Small group was great, continuing to make relationships...relationships that I am looking forward to growing.  Then we went out with 2 people -Amy and Alan from Ohio--for some green beer!!!  Enjoy the ST Pattie's Day pics!  Tim is running in a half marathon with his dad in Seneca tomorrow...go team Reynolds!

I am not drunk here...Tim was just too close with the flash. 

Reynolds Family pre marathon day. Before our lasagna supper.

basically, I liked my outfit.

Team Reynolds for the run

The girls...aka race day cheerleaders! with our coffee!

fresh flowers

I brought some fresh flowers from my parent's house this weekend and i love having them around...they really do brighten up the place.  They make me think of spring. And this particular flower makes me think of my great grandmother, she always had these when they were blooming!  And they remind me of something I heard in church Sunday, that I keep thinking....it's a verse actually, so I am going to share it here.
 Psalm 103:1-5
   Praise the Lord, oh my soul; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
   Praise the LOrd, oh my soul, and never forget the good things he does for me. 
  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.  He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies.  He fills my life with good things.  My youth renewed like the eagle's! 

I love that. I keep reminding myself, Praise the Lord, oh my soul.  And how he has filled my life with good things.  God is good.  I feel that he doesn't always heal of diseases on earth, though...sometimes I think when he takes someone to heaven, that is their healing.  Like my cousin, Cal...he was "healed" better than any earthly healing could do for him. 

And my surprise in the mail was from Ginger--my friend Holly's sister....I read her blog and LOVE it and get many recipes from it.  She is a vegetable lover, and she and Holly have really influenced my life to be a huge vegetable lover!  So, she has a tatoo that has vegetables in it and a great saying "Eat your vegetables and stay close to things that grow"--so I wanted a picture of it.  I plan to do something neat with it...so b/c then she knew I loved vegetables too,so she sent me this bag!! Picture below after the flowers that make you want to say Praise the Lord, oh my soul. 

this last one is Hello Spring!! When I get home, I want to  open the porch door and have some wine on the porch!  You can hear kids playing and that means it is pretty outside!

So MOnday morning was tough.  Daylight SAvings time and having so much fun Saturday night have left me exhausted. And I had to be at work at 8 on the dot Monday--meaning to be sure I was there I had to leave my house at 7.  Wayyy to early.  Then I walked outside and saw it was still dark outside...and what came out of my mouth wasn't nice.  Then had a long day at work, worked til 4:30.  We were to have dinner with the Egar's, so we got ready for a fun MOnday night out, where maybe my mood was more stay inside and go to bed at 8:30--BUT it turned out to be soooo fun.  We went downtown Atlanta to eat at a nice, more expensive restaurant, but on MOnday's they have a great special.  They wanted to celebrate things in their work life, and wanted us to get to experience this. So, got there, sat outside in our gorgeous spring like weather with pre dinner drinks and these slider sandwiches that were really good.  And just the buildings around us, and the one we were sitting on--they were neat, big and strong and old looking.  Then, dinner....for $16 we had a nice size and tasting spinach salad with gorgonzola cheese and then seriously about the best steak I have ever had, it was filet mignon maybe that was why--with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  YUM.  My steak was literally delightful in my mouth.  I even get my well done, well they certainly knew how to do that and still have it juicy.  Then we were telling them about our "party pops" they gave us for free at Starbuck's Saturday and so we decided to go to Starbuck's to get some.  They are really called petite pops, or cake pops--but I think party pops is so much cooler!  So, great night, feel even more comfortable with the Egar's than we did the last time we hung out with them, really enjoyed their company and our night.  So my Monday made a great turn around!!
  Still need to get into bed early tonight, since we were a little late going to bed last night, and i got up to go to the step class at the gym before work. .And hands down, I love that class, it's my favorite.  The teacher is a great step teacher and we move hard for an hour, with one minute intervals in b/w combos...I leave there soaking wet and red faced and i love it! 
  Getting in the shower then off to work.  on a rainy rainy day.  enjoy our pics from last night.  I couldn't believe i didn't bring my camera, but Rob took pics on his iphone ( i think that's what he has! ?)

on the porch of the Livingston having drinks and sliders

little bundles of joy--our party pops!!!  rocky road and tiramasu (sp?)

and my party pop--the birthday cake flavor!! they only had one left, i was lucky!

 For my bad MOnday being tired, I also got another great surprise in the mail.  So, will post about that later!!! 

Good, fast , too fast weekend.

Thursday night, the weekend kind of starts in my head because we have small group.  I look forward to this and seeing everyone that I am getting a little closer to each time I see them.  And if anyone knows me, they know I go to bed at 10, pretty much on the dot….but every week for small group, we don’t even leave their house until after 10, then drive home, get ready for bed, wind down a little with a book….so bed at about 11ish…whew! That must mean I am having fun when I am there! But I am feeling like it’s worth it to form some friendships.  And right when we were getting ready to leave, we made plans to have “cocktail hour” at one of the couple’s houses Friday---so it was 4 couples that were going to come, and everyone was to bring their drink and an appetizer to share. 

Friday, I worked until 3:30—got home and Tim and I did our exercise as a hike. The same one we did with the Eager’s a few weeks ago, but we loved it-and it isn’t too far away or too long for a late afternoon hike.  Then, ran home, cooked our corn dip….went to Ron and Theresa’s….good time there getting to know everyone more and enjoying some wine with other Christians—one of my very favorite things in lifeJ.

Saturday morning, I had to work.  Of course, I didn’t love that…but such is life right now.  Every other Saturday.  So got off 1, of course takes forever to close up, walked out of the bank 1:44, got home threw things in a bag and headed to Greenville—we were in the car going at 2:17, pretty good I thought.  We got Starbuck’s on the way out of town!!! To get ready for a fun party night—to get energy and become a coai—as my dear friend Chesley says( it sounds bad, but everytime I’d have coffee at lunch and come back all talkative and excited at work, she’d call me a cracked out aerobics instructor. )  Got to Greenville pretty much just in time to put on clothes and head to Ben and Melissa’s to pre party. They live in Moore, right across from where the party was…so went there-good to see everyone and Ben and Melissa just had a baby recently—they seem so happy and In love with this child..good for them! Then went to the shower/party really for Hal Harrison and his fiancé Amanda.  FUN, FUN party---stayed there til 11:30ish, maybe 11---then went to Adrienne and Hootie’s to sit in their very cool backyard around their heater until 1:30!  And it was spring forward! I was so tired this morning when I had to get up for church.  I was trying to back out BUT if you party too much on Sunday, it’s your decision, you still got to get up for church.  Just make that a rule for yourself.  Stinks sometimes.  But I had such a great time at Adrienne’s –talking to her and getting some girl time, while Tim was really enjoying the boys!  Bear, Hootie, and Reid came over!

Sunday, church for some seriously good Ralph Carter.  A man who genuinely loves the Lord.  Then my mom made southwestern chicken chili for lunch-yum.  Then we all went to ride our bikes on the Swamp Rabbit in downtown Greenville.  We got there and my mom’s bike tire was flat! So she had to walk around downtown while we rode…so we didn’t go too far.  But it was still perfectly exhilarating to be out ther e in the breeze and sunshine riding and exercising.  Then we got home and I was dying to take a walk in Wellington Green(my fav. Place to walk, and the bridge has been out for months being repaired)—so nice Tim let me really quick! I took Bailey to let her get some exercise since she couldn’t ride bikes with us…we walked about 25 minutes! Felt great! I needed exercise after last night’s partying and eating good! 

Driving back to the ATL now and LOVING  that I am doing this in the car with our very cool portable Verizon internet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Enjoy the pics.

all the boys at the Smith pre party

my Starbucks i got Sat.....loved the green wrap around paper.

pre party at the Smith's the girls

hanging out at the Solebee's backyard, great yard

Adrienne and Hootie

getting our bikes ready!

VERSE CARD

Check out this cool card I made on shutterfly!! Maybe you can buy them for yourself and send them to your friends!  I don't know if that is how posting this link works, but would be cool if that is how it works!! I wish I could buy a million of these to give!

Classic Black 5x7 folded card

Send Shutterfly Valentine's Day cards to those closest to you.

View the entire collection of cards.

goood weekend

What a great weekend!!! For starters, I was off SAturday!! woooohooooo.... So Friday after work, we headed to Seneca to go out in Clemson with Jacob and Kristen, and some other really good friends from Seneca. We had a good time being together.  We were together to celebrate Jacob's 30th birthday! I love to kid him that he is old, and that he needs a walker! And he is so so funny the way he comes up with jokes about it.
  Saturday, woke up and enjoyed coffee with Tim's parents, then headed to the lake to spend the night with Tim's sister, Liz and her boyfriend George.  We had a GREAT time, it was just really good relational time. We had the TV on for the Clemson basketball game while we ate lunch, and that was it! We sat on the porch with the drizzling rain all afternoon---from about 2 until about 8 when we ate dinner!  We just talked and enjoyed some cocktails and appetizers that started around 5, and then another round of apps at 6--George cooked duck!  It was good!  George is the master griller and marinater!   We were really looking forward to supper he was cooking because of that!  So supper we had grilled steaks with bleu cheese, and Liz made macaroni and cheese and salad! Then we played cards---how fun --interacting and not watching TV, I was so impressed with us!  We had a good time too. Then woke up this morning, had a big breakfast, and incase you were wondering what I cooked, this is what I cooked.  haha. Then left the lake in the POURING RAIN, stopped by Greenville to get nail polish at Ulta that I couldn't find in Atlanta, stopped by Belk b/c I needed a new bra--and ran into good friends Ashley and Lucas! And it was Ashley's birthday!!! So glad I got to see her today!  Happy Birthday Ashley, and Tim's aunt Sherry! And tomorrow my Uncle Hal!  Lots of love to all!  Have a great week! enjoy the photos of our weekend!

 I love this of Jacob and Tim laughing and telling old stories. 

 This is the duck George cooked!  Some were wrapped in bacon.

 OUr steaks!!! right before they went on the grill!

Is everyone aware Jennifer Aniston cut her hair????? I love it! And I am probably going to copy it!