Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is possibly my favorite holiday of the year... if not my favorite, it is tied with Christmas. Its a wonderful holiday to tell the people in your life just how thankful you are for them and to remind yourself all the many blessings in life. It is a holiday that really makes me think and reflect on my own life and how many wonderful, great, and amazing things and people that are in my life. I have so much to be thankful for. In the days and week leading up to thanksgiving, I find my mind turning to the holiday and really focusing on everything in my life that makes it great and special, especially the people I am so blessed to call my family and friends. As I did last year on Thanksgiving, I am continuing the tradition below with a list of things I am most thankful for. As usual, they are not in any particular order, except the first one. The first is the most important thing/aspect of my life, because with out Him, I would be nothing!



1. Jesus Christ- My faith is truly the core of who I am. I am not perfect by any means (very far from it...), but when I waver, wander, or stumble, and fall far short of His glory (on a daily basis), He remains steadfast and faithful. As one song says "Amazing grace, its more than just a song"-- I can say without a doubt that is the truth. His grace and mercy are unending, His love is unfailing, and for that I am forever thankful!



2. My family- They are always there for me. They rejoice and celebrate with me in the good times and they are always there to pick me up when I fall. Incredible people who love me for who I am, even when I am being hard to love.



3. My Friends- My friends are the ones who know everything about me and love me just the same. They are there for me when times are great (like my birthday just last week) to the bad times when I feel like my world is falling apart and crumbling around me. There is some quote that says something along the lines of friends are the family that we get to choose. I do consider my friends to be as close as family and I love them like family, but I did not choose them. God has put each and every last one of them into my life for a reason. Each one has had an impact on my life and forever changed me. I can not say thank you enough to my friends for always being there and remind them that I love them dearly! Y'all make my life so much brighter!!

4. The amazing guy I am dating.... Six months ago I would have never guessed that I would be in a relationship, but I am! The more and more I get to know him, the more and more incredible I think he is! He is so sweet to me and very supportive of me and my dreams, and even seems to tolerate the fact that my life has been taken over with school work these past few weeks! It is an unexpected blessing that I am very thankful for!



5. My dream is becoming my reality- It hit me this summer just before starting my last year of school that finishing school would mean my life long dream of being an architect is truly becoming my reality! Finishing this semester, my comprehensive studio, is a HUGE hurdle that will soon be done! (2 weeks!!!!) Its hard to believe in one more semester and one more summer, I will be done with school. Forever. I have loved my time at Clemson, but I am looking forward to having something that sort of resembles a life. Yet, I would not trade all the struggles, late nights, crazy reviews, stress, and shear emotion because this dream is so worth all of that!

6. Freedom. Here I am spending time with my family for Thanksgiving while around the world, our United States service men and women are protecting our freedom this holiday. Thank you to all of you who protect our country!

Time is flying by....

This year (and this semester for that matter) is flying by..... where is the time going!?!?!

Seems like just yesterday I was celebrating new years by banging pots and pans on the front porch by myself because my family was already asleep....

It seems like just yesterday I was spending my valentines day with two of my closest friends.... having what turned out to be the greatest valentines to date!

Spring was my best friend's wedding... fast forward to the summer... starting off with Sarah Boyd's baptism, lazy days at the lake, family vacation to the mountains, my big trip across the big pond....starting my last year of school...Fall. I met an incredible guy who keeps totally rocking my socks off and has me excited to see where our relationship goes..... Sarah Boyd's First Birthday (and Chad's 30th Birthday).

Now here we are. A little more than two weeks from Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays because I have SO much to be thankful for!), 3 weeks from my final review, 4 weeks from exam week... and then Christmas break! Where has this semester gone? It is flying by!

They say time flies when you are having fun... I am clearly having a LOTS of fun! I am so blessed to have incredible friends and family who I totally dont deserve but love more than I can ever let them know, I have this great opportunity to pursue my dream of being an architect, and I totally love living each day full on and all out!!! Life is great!

Here are a few recent pictures....Sarah Boyd's birthday party!! In the next few weeks I will be doing different things and get more pictures! :-)

... I am good at copying and pasting....

Saw this over on another blog and thought it might be kind of fun.... so here it goes....



1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while your blogging?

I am typically blogging in the studio during my lunch... so I am usually eating a bag of steam fresh veggies and have my nalgene of water.



2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?

Hum... hard one... I would say my friends and family, but they are not things. They are incredible people who I love more than I could ever let them know! A thing I could not live without... my cellphone... I use it a lot. (email, keeping in touch with my family and friends, surfing the internet.... It is not my crackberry as I can live with out for a day or two at a time... but it is usually close at hand)


3. Beach, Mountains, or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?

Mountains.... Since we built our family mountain house, I have fallen completely in love with the mountains. I do enjoy the beach and farms, but I always get to the mountains and feel like all is well again!



4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?

Cleaning my bathtub and shower. My bathtub is really kind of too big.... it requires either climbing into the tub to get the back corner or using the swiffer with a towel on the end to get to the back. And my water at the house is pretty hard, so it is sometimes very hard to really get the hard warter scum off..... :-(


5. Who do people say you remind them of?
My mother... I love her dearly and we are a lot alike. People tell me our mannerisms are very similar and well, when we are on the phone we sound just alike. I cannot believe I am about to admit this on my blog... but I did not realize until a few years ago just how much we sound alike on the phone. I had just gotten to my parents house from Clemson and no one was home. So I pick up my cell phone and called what I think is my mom's cell phone and in turn call their landline at the house. When I pick up the landline, I say hello into the landline phone, and of course hear it coming out my cellphone at which point I start talking to who I think is my mom. When I cant hear her reply, I start saying "Mom... I cant hear you... you are breakin up...." at which point I realized I was talking to myself! So yes. One the phone, we do sound very much alike......



6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying home with the fam?

I like a good mix of both. I like to go out with my friends and have a good time, but I dont want to do that every night. Some nights I like to just chill at home. So a few times a week with friends is great because then I get a few nights a week at home too! Its the best of both worlds!



7. What's your all time favorite movie?

I dont have one... I have 3..... and all three are chick flicks. I like the movies where the guy gets the girl in the end! My 3 favorits are The American President, The Wedding Date, and Love Affair! All soo good!



8. Do you sleep in your make-up or remove it like a good little girl every night?

Nope. I wash my face every night.... my skin is WAY too oily not to! Its bad enough already... It would be totally horrible if I tried to sleep in make up!



9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?

I really want to pick up playing the cello again and I really want to learn to play the piano.

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?

I cant think of anything strange I am really good at.... I guess my friends from college would say that I am pretty good at the Clooodles and maybe the Cameos from Cranium....

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?

Come on now... we all know I am not married... but the first thing I notice about guys are their eyes and their smiles!

12. What is something you love to smell?

The smell of the fall air...cool and crisp with a slight smell of someone burning a campfire or something... Ahhh... heaven!

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.

I tend to speak my mind..... and sometimes too much.....

14. When you have extra money, what's the first thing you think to do with it?

I am a broke graduate student... I dont ever have extra money.... but if I did, I would probably splurge on something... shopping or possibly a pedicure or something for myself. Just depends on the mood I am in at that time.

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?

I l ove to laugh out loud! I dont know what makes me laugh the hardest though.... probably being around my good friend Joanna's brothers.... those boys are very funny and will make you laugh until your sides hurt!

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?

Probably TJ Maxx... I love to find good deals! But after that, probably Belks.... nothing too exciting.....

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?

Spend more time with family and friends... sometimes being in school is hard because it can be very hard to get away, even for the weekend!

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?

I like to find good deals!!! But periodically I will splurge on something special (my Digital SLR for example was a huge splurge, but I love it and it has been well worth the investment!)

19. Who is your favorite character of all time?

I dont have an all time favorite character....

20. Would you want to be famous?

Not really. I love the life I have been blessed with!

Happy First Birthday, Sarah Boyd!!!

I will never forget the morning of October 25, 2008. That week had been a doozie at school and I had found out one of my best friends had cancer. By the time Friday night came and I finally got into bed, I was totally and utterly drained.... mentally, physically, and emotionally spent. I got in bed fairly early for a Friday night and just kept reminding myself that no matter what was going on in my life, that God was in control and His perfect will sovereign. I never thought that Friday night that my life would be forever changed the next day. I will never forget my Saturday morning though.

About 9 am on Saturday morning, I got a phone call from my sister. It was a bit odd because it was so early for a Saturday morning, but not totally odd to hear from her given a major player in my thesis research had been in Clemson from Arizona and because she knew I was stressed out. BUT... after the few minutes of small talk of her asking about my week and how school was going, she told me that she and Chad were at the hospital, and the sweet baby (who we did not know the sex or name of) would be coming into our world that day! At that moment, I was filled with shear joy! I remember packing and getting dressed as fast as I could so that I could get to Columbia. I knew she was going to be in labor for hours, but I did not want to miss one minute with my family and I just wanted to get to the hospital! Within 3 hours of getting the initial phone call, I had showered, packed, driven 2.25 hrs from Clemson to Columbia, dropped my dog off at my parents house, and then driven to downtown Columbia to the hospital.

Hours later, Sarah Boyd Horne was born. She came into the world around 8pm on Saturday, October 25, 2008. She was perfect. From the moment I first saw her, I was totally in love! Unfortunately, because of her laid back personality and not crying after she was born, she spent a week in the NICU for an infection. But, two days after she was born, the family finally got to scrub up and go into the NICU and hold that sweet baby girl. Its amazing how much I love my niece! I was totally and utterly in love... I can only imagine how much I will love my own child now that I know how much I love her!

The past 12 months have flown by. I can't believe she is already ONE! She is an incredible little girl with a great personality, blue eyes that will get her anything she wants, and a smile that makes my heart melt! Below are some pictures from the past year with the amazing, sweet baby girl that I am blessed to call my niece!

The Morning after she was born...

I finally got to hold her!!!

The Morning she came home... in the dress my sister wore home from the hospital.

Thanksgiving at the Hefners (about a month old)

Christmas Eve, 2008

February, 2009-- Just hanging out

March 2009, I babysat her one day during my spring break

Channing and SB on Saturday April 4, 200-- Bridal Brunch before Channing and Blake's wedding

Easter Sunday, 2009

SB's Baptism, May 2009

4 Generations (from left), my sister, SB, Baba (my maternal grandmother), and my mom

Late May, 2009

Summer 2009 at the lake house

Early October 2009

It is well...

Life is an endless roller coaster. The scary drops, the exhilarating ups, and the times when it seems we are just creeping along not going up or down... just a plateau in life. I am definitely in an exhilarating up right now. I don't know how life could get much better! I know I have said that before.... but I am way to blessed not to say that! I have an incredible family who support me constantly, greater friends than I could ever deserve or ask for, I serve an awesome God who loves me despite my faults... I could not be more blessed or be happier!

I am crazy in love with life... now why it is great, this summer when I was struggling, all the time. If I did not have the hard times, I would not know how great the good times are. If I did not have the lows, I would not realize how out of control and powerless I am and, thus would not see how in control and totally powerful (and awesome) God is.

Life is Good. In fact, Life is great!

The Lake! (and at sunset it is even better!)

The unexpected... a rainbow during a break in the rain.

The Mountains...

My life long dream of being an architect slowly becoming my reality!

(This is my arch + Health people during our tour of the ORs at MUSC last week)

I just heard this song. and I like it a lot.

As I have said before... I am a pandora radio junkie! Nothing like free online radio that you can customize!!! Anyways... I heard this song called I'm Alive last night while I was working in the studio. I like it.... plus I like that it is Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews... interesting mix!


Sorry I don't know how to include the youtube video here... but link is in the word "this" above!

...just a dog.....

Read this on someones blog and thought I would post it here because I think it is sweet!
In the past few years since we got Whit for my dad after my dad got sick, I have become quite the dog lover. I cant imagine life without Cadie and Whit (my parent's dogs), or my sweet Riggs. I am now and will forever be a dog person!
(and I do have a special place for spaniels, in particular!)

It's Just a Dog

From time to time people tell me, "Lighten up, it's just a dog," or,
"That's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled,
the time spent or the costs involved for "just a dog."
Some of my proudest moments have come about with

"just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company
was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog,"
and, in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog"
gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably
understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise,"
or "just a promise."
"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence
of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that
makes me a better person. Because of "just a dog"

I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me, and folks like me,
it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes
and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past
and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and
diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not
"just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity
and keeps me from being "just a human."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog."
just smile....because they "just don't understand."

- Anonymous

Cadie on the chair she is NOT supposed to be on! :-)

Whit at his favorite place... Lake Murray waiting for the ball to be thrown!


From left to right, Riggs, Whit (in mid-air), and Mackie playing ball at the lake house!

Riggs!!! My Sweet Boy!!!

Cadie (left) and Whit (on the sofa they are also not supposed to be on)

Cadie and Riggs (on the sofa at the lake, which they are allowed on)

Riggs when he was a wee baby in front of Riggs Hall

(both named after former Clemson President Walter Merritt Riggs)

Whit at the mountain house