It's Been A Long Time Comin'

Hi folks! This is quite possibly the longest I've gone without blogging. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I will explain all that has happened in the last 3 months to keep me from blogging.
Bare with me, this is going to be one looooong post.

As you all know, Rob and I moved to Fort Worth 3 months ago. You also know that I started my first full-time teaching job. Well guess what...Tomorrow I'll be starting another new job.

What's new in my life? In the last 3 months I have realized that for whatever reason, I am not meant to be a pre-school teacher. Maybe it was the fact that I was completely unprepared for the type of children I would come in contact with. Maybe it was the fact that I had never written a lesson plan and no one took the time to show me the best way how. I have no idea. Nonetheless, I know I was not meant to be a pre-K teacher. Last Thursday was my last day.

Tomorrow I will begin yet another nannying job. Now this is where I belong. I will be the care-giver to two beautiful children ages 2 and 4. I will take them to and from school. While they are at school, I will go grocery shopping for the family, prepare meals, keep the house organized, basically be a stay-at-home mom for someone else's kids (while getting paid). Yes please! I also have between 2 and 5 hours free to do whatever I need for my own household.
With this new free time, I will finally get to go to Chapel at the Seminary with my wonderful husband. I will also, soon, be leading a Weight Watchers meeting during the week.
I am thrilled to be getting all this free time. I will be working the same amount of hours, but I'll be getting paid more and will get more time during the day to do what needs to be done. What a blessing.

So basically that is what has been going on in my own life. I have a new found respect for people who work 40 hrs/week and a greater respect for teachers. It takes a special breed of people to endure that profession.

What's new in Rob's life? He is developing a deeper understanding of Hebrew, the history of our Christian beliefs, and how to better win souls to the Kingdom, internationally. I am ever amazed at how blessed I am to have this man in my life.
(Side Note): The longer I am married to him to more I understand the Grace of God. I have done nothing to "deserve" such a godly man, but he loves me freely. He chooses to spend his life with me no matter how depraved I am.  (End Side Note).
He has had two mid-terms and is working on his first two papers of the semester. He is over half-way through with this first semester and is growing more, spiritually, everyday. I have never seen him happier and more full of the Spirit. He has been such an encouragement in my life over these last few months of immense difficulty. God is revealing himself more and more to Rob and through Rob.

What's new in our life? We have found a church body! The name of our new church body is Solid Rock Church. It is a smaller body, which is new for us, but it is a thriving/growing body. We have felt right at home with this church since the first day; something we have not felt since our days at Calvary in Tuscaloosa. The preacher, Jason, delivers a solid (no pun intended) message straight from the Word every single Sunday. His preaching is never "topical", but rather "exegetical" (had to use my new favorite seminary word), which means is based directly on a passage of scripture, explaining exactly what the scripture says. When you hear Jason preach, you know it comes straight from his heart. He is passionate and intentional about everything he says and does. Every service is completely Spirit led and Spirit filled. We are totally blessed to have found a home at Solid Rock. 
We have made two great sets of couple friends and look forward to seeing that number grow. These couples we have gotten to know have been such blessings in our lives as well. It is so rare to find couples where everyone gets along with everyone. Thankfully we have already found that here.

Another something new in our life...OUR BEST FRIEND/MAID OF HONOR, ALICIANA, IS NOW LIVING IN DALLAS!!!!!!!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!! I absolutely love having her live only 40 minutes away. Another major blessing.

One last thing that is new: I have recently taken up photography. As you all know, I purchased a Nikon d40x while we lived in MS. Since we moved here, I have also taken two photography classes, have moved from Auto to Manual, and have started booking photography sessions for seminary families to get more practice. Once I get permission from families, I will post a few shots on here.

God has been so, so good to us since we moved to Ft. Worth. There have been plenty of hard times, but He has delivered us from those hard times and we have been blessed because of our perseverance. We are looking forward to what God has in store for us on down the road. And, hopefully, I will be able to keep this blog up to date better.

Again, please forgive me for letting so much time pass before updating. I've kind of been huddled in the fetal position under a rock for the last 2.5 months. But I'm out now and I'm ready to enjoy life again.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We love you all.

Sincerely,
The Wiggins Duo

Two Texans

Wow how the time has flown! Rob and I are now into our 3rd day here in Fort Worth, TX. We are completely moved in, pretty close to settled, and by this afternoon we will have both had job interviews.

Yesterday morning I had my final interview in the Child Development Center with a company called Camp Fire USA Fort Worth. I am happy to announce that I have received the job and will (soon) be a Pre-K teacher. I've done this job before but the difference with this job and the last one is that this place is an actual CDC and not just a "day-care". Another difference is that I will be a full time teacher and will be working around 40-45 hrs/wk.

For my fellow Human Development friends, to give you an idea of what kind of center this place is, just think about the CDRC in Tuscaloosa and you have the CDC at Camp Fire USA. They are exactly alike. Observational booths, caring and knowledgeable teachers, centers focused around children's exploration, as well as a focus on the beliefs of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Montessori. YES PLEASE! Another great thing about this job is that it offers health benefits!! A HUGE answered prayer for us.

I'm not sure when I start yet, a lot of details are still to be ironed out. Worst case scenario, I'll start on the 15th or 16th of August. Best case, I'll start on Monday. Even the worst case scenario is fine with me. I'm just excited to be surrounded by teachers who truly care about (and know how to) giving the best to their students.

Now to the second interview of this week. Rob is currently in an interview with the maintenance depot on Southwestern's campus. While at UA, Rob worked in maintenance on campus and loved it. I know he is really excited to use his hands again, since for the last year he has been sitting behind a desk doing nothing but boring formulas. As soon as he gets home, I will update this blog to let you know the result of his interview.

We have already been so blessed by our short time in Texas. We have already met two families that live in our apt complex. One of our neighbors saw us moving in through his window, came and helped Rob move all of our furniture into the apartment. In Mississippi, we had several friends come by and help us load our moving truck but the few people we know in TX were all unavailable for when we arrived.

When we left MS and arrived in TX, we realized we were going to have to rely on God to provide everything, even something as small as sending someone to help us move in. He has dont exactly that. He has provided us with everthing we have needed; from gift cards from friends to safe travels, from jobs to helpful neighbors. We are so excited to start our new life out here in the Southwest.

Thank you to all our family and friends who have completely supported us in this transitional period. I know it's not fun or easy to be so far a part but we know this is where God has lead us and we are excited to see how He continues to bless our lives. Continue praying for us as we start new jobs and as Rob starts school in 3 weeks from tomorrow (the 25th).

UPDATE: Rob got the maintenance job. He will be responsible for painting apartments and dorms after they become vacant. More good news: I got a call from the director at Camp Fire and I was approved by the board. I go in tomorrow and Friday morning for orientation and then I start work on Monday. More and more and more blessings!!


With Love,
The Wiggins Duo

The stars at night are BIG and BRIGHT

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

Caitlin has been keeping this blog for a year now and this is my (Rob) first post. I/we are so excited about our news, though, that I really wanted to blog about it.

We've been holding in a secret for several months now (I don't know how good of a job we've done. {Note from Cate: by we Rob means ME!}) until I gave my company notice. On July 31st we will be moving to Forth Worth, Texas!!!
"What will you be doing in Texas?" you might ask. I am going to be attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where I will get my Master of Divinity in International Church Planting. This is an amazing program where I will spend 2-3 years on campus taking about 60 of the 90 standard M.Div. course hours, then we will spend 2-3 years with the International Mission Board as Apprentice Missionaries. We will train and work with career missionaries and we will take modular courses in the field. After our 2-3 years are up I will be awarded my degree and we will be qualified to become Career Missionaries with the International Mission Board.

When Caitlin and I first started dating we both expressed our awareness of God's calling on each of our lives for international missions. We knew when we got married and moved to Jackson, Mississippi, that we wouldn't be here for long. We didn't know for sure where we were going or how we were going to get there, but we trusted God would provide us answers in time. In February we went to visit Southwestern's campus in Forth Worth. We already felt God was leading us there, but the trip left us without a doubt. I applied and was accepted to Southwestern within a week of our visit.

Since then we have been preparing for the move: saving money, getting rid of furniture, applying for jobs, applying for housing, etc. God is revealing so much about putting our faith in Him and seeking His Will. There are still so many unknowns about this next phase of our life. I only have enough savings to pay for one semester, maybe two. Neither of us have secured jobs yet. We feel that Caitlin is meant to begin taking seminary classes soon, but we have no idea how we will pay for it. And those are just the major unkowns. But if there is anything God has taught us: He will always provide for us in His perfect timing and in His perfect way. We must simply submit ourselves to Him, follow His Will, and any thing we truly need will be provided for us.

¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. - 1 John 5:14-15

We are so excited for this next phase of our life and our marriage. We know there are tough times ahead, but we also know we are walking in God's will....and there is no better place to be. Please keep us in your prayers as we move, start classes, seek jobs, and ultimately seek to glorify God through following His calling on our life.

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:19-20

And now, a word from our sponser, Cate: Isn't he the BEST! Man, am I one lucky girl. I just want to reiterate exactly what Rob just said. We are so excited, not only to get out to Texas, but to follow God's calling on our lives. We've known from the beginning that international missions was the end "goal" and we're beyond excited to see it finally happening; to finally be working toward that goal in an obvious way. I have done a terrible job at keeping this a "secret" so I'm relieved that it's finally out there. We will keep everyone updated, of course, throughout our time in Seminary. We appreciate all your prayers so much. I have the best blog stalkers, family, and friends EVER! We love you guys so much and we appreciate you. 


All our best, 
The Wiggins Duo

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

I MADE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP TONIGHT!!!

Since I started WW in November, I have lost 19 lbs. I can honestly say I've never been more proud of the way I look - even more than when I was in high school. 

HOORAY FOR WW!!!

Happy Fourth!!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Thank you to our brave military men for fighting for our freedom! 

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

23

In honor of my upcoming (23rd) birthday - Thursday - I decided to post 23 things I've learned about life and love. Because our anniversary and my birthday are so close, I'm just going to bundle it all into one post.

So here we go. My list of lessons learned.

23. Relax; People generally think more clearly when they're not stressed out.

22. Own your decisions. No one can force you to do anything. So do what you do and own it!

21. Admit/apologize when you are wrong. Notice the "when".

20. Laugh. It is known to be good for your health to laugh. Get the endorphins pumping, you will not be disappointed.

19. Learn. Do research. Enhancing your knowledge makes you a better and more confident person.

18. Research the food you put in your body. When at all possible, go natural. Your body was made for it.

17. Try new things. Another thing that will make you a better person. Be brave.

16. Be open minded about somethings. If nothing else, be willing to TRULY listen to other perspectives. Don't lose all moral, just loosen up a bit. You might surprise yourself.

15. Honestly communicate. How will anyone know something is wrong if you never speak up? Change cannot come without communication.

14. You can never say "I love you" too much. If you truly mean it, say it.

13. Don't tell just anyone "I love you". It is a sacred phrase and should only be used when it is real, lasting. Also, don't just throw "love" around: "I love this shirt", "I love that dress". Love is too big to be minimized that way.

12. Live cautiously, not cowardly.

11. Wives, let your husbands play the Xbox from time to time. Don't gripe every time he wants to play.

10. Husbands, don't play your Xbox constantly. Don't gripe when your wife wants to spend time with you.

9. TV time does not count as together time. Turn the TV, DVD player, computer, Xbox, cell phones, etc. off from time to time and learn something new about your significant other.

8. Find something you love and do it. Even if you don't get money or recognition for it.

7. Don't question everything your husband does. It is belittling and shows your lack of trust in him.

6. My husband's granddad will love this one: THINK FOR YOURSELF! Advice is great, but it all boils down to YOU. Trust your gut from time to time.

5. Take care of yourself. You are the only You you'll ever get. Be healthy. Eat right and exercise - another way to get the endorphins pumping. Always remember, Endorphins = Happiness.

4. Material possessions are not as important and society would like for you to believe. I have found that I'm more satisfied with life when I have less material items.

3. Family is important, and so is friendship. True friends becomes family and they are something to be cherished!

2. Your family does not define you. You define you. Whatever mistakes they have made hold no power over the life you choose to live.

1. God is in control in every way. When you feel lost and confused, rest in knowing that God is never taken off guard or by surprise. "Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

So there you have it folks. 23 lessons in life and love that I have learned. I hope you enjoyed, and maybe took a note or two. Thanks for reading.

C-Wiggle

I like to KICK! STRETCH! AND KICK!!

Thankfully my mom does not look like Sally O'Mally! Nonetheless, she is still 50!! The big 5-0! I can't believe it. Last weekend we celebrated my lovely, beautiful, and age-defying mom. What a good time we had. 
I am so thankful to my sweet mom. She is such a wonderful, Godly woman and I am grateful that I have her to be an example of the kind of mother I want to be to my children. I'm also thankful that I have her genetics. I complain now that people think I'm 15, but one day I know I'll be happy to look half my age. My mom definitely looks half her age! So thanks, mom, for a) being a great mom and b) for having such great genetics - and passing them on to me. My (distant) future children say thanks too.

Here are some photos of the weekend:

 My mom and stepdad, Chris

 My brother, Nick, and nephew, Taylor

 lovely and delicious cake by www.loveandcupcakesal.com

 Mimi and Taylor

 Can you tell we're related?

Li'el Bugah

That night Mom had several close friends come over for a little partay to celebrate her first wonderful 50 years of life. At around 9, we got a call that totally shook us and took us by surprise. It was my grandmother calling saying that my granddad had been taken to the hospital for chest pains. So we cleared out the house, packed up our bags and took off to Huntsville, about 2 hrs. north of Birmingham. 

Finally at about 11:30, Rob and I arrived at the Huntsville hospital. We got to see my granddaddy and saw that everything was ok. After a few hours, Rob and I decided to check into a hotel just 1/2 a mile from the hospital. The next morning we visited my g'dad and found out that, thankfully, it was not a heart attack. Instead it was a herniated esphagus. Not good, and very painful, but still better than a heart attack. We were so relieved. 

Once our visiting time slot was over - btw should not be called visiting "hours", because it was actually visiting minutes - we headed to Hartselle to visit my grandmother before heading back to Birmingham to meet Rob's parents. 

I am so thankful that we had time to meet with my wonderful "In-laws" (parentheses because this is not how we feel about each other). They brought so much serenity after a crazy night like we just had. They were so flexible with us and took a ton of stress off that we had been feeling for the last 12 hours or so. 

 Yes, we met at McDonald's. At that point we would have eaten anything.

Needless to say we were exhausted after this trip. We probably drove at least 15 hours that weekend. We got home to Jackson at about 8 pm. Right about the time we pulled into the city limits, I got a call from the lady I nanny for - who is 9 months pregnant. She was having contractions and just wanted to make sure we had made it back to town. They weren't going to the hospital yet, but when they decided it was time, I was going to go to their house and stay with Peyton until they were able to come back home. I don't know if I've mentioned yet, but this all happened the weekend/day of mine and Rob's 1st anniversary. 

Once we got home Rob and I decided we would celebrate our anniversary as much as we possibly could  before I got called away again. We got some sushi, went home, opened presents, had some of our wedding cake (which was still delicious) and started watching Enchanted - the movie we watched on our first date. 

Not but 15 minutes into the movie, my phone rings. Jaime is going into labor. Awesome. I grab my "go-bag", hop in my car, and high tail it out to Madison, MS. 

On June, 20 at 4:14 a.m., Brendan Burke Anderson made his grand entrance into the world! Jaime was able to come home with him on Wednesday. He is so tiny, it is unreal. Congratulations to the best family I've ever worked for. I am so happy to get to watch this sweet boy. I don't have any pictures of Brendan yet, but I will post them as soon as I can. 

Have no fear. Rob and I did celebrate our anniversary. We just did it 6 days later. It wasn't as lavish and extravagent as we may have hoped, but if there is one thing we've learned this year, it's that sometimes you just have to go with it. We had originally planned to spend a week at a fancy bed and breakfast in Gatlinburg, TN. However, we've had to change those plans because very soon we will be making a huge move and we need to save every penny we can. 

I was pretty bummed about this but instead of throwing myself a pity party, I decided to bring the resort to our apartment. We had mimosas with strawberries, chocolate covered and powdered donuts, as well as blueberry, choc chip, and banana pancakes. We watched movies and layed around in our PJs all day long. It was fabulous!! I love our love; that we can be at home just the two of us and enjoy ourselves so much. I could not have asked for a better mate. We were so obviously made for each other it's ridiculous. I fall more and more in love with this man every day. I am so blessed.

Here are some pictures of our Hotel at Home breakfast:

A Wedding Weekend

Two weeks ago, Rob and I made a journey to Tuscaloosa, AL to witness two sweet college friends tie the knot. I have a special place in my heart for the bride and for her groom.

My sophomore year of college, I led my first freshman Bible study at Calvary in Tuscaloosa. Sweet Anna-Kate was a member of that Bible study group and a very special one at that. This girl has the sweetest spirit I have ever seen.

I will never forget this one night after church a year later when she came up to me a thanked me for being there for her during her freshman year. How sweet is that she would think to let me know what I meant to her a year later. I greatly appreciated that and will never forget it.

Here are some photos of when Anna-Kate and I first met.

Our whole freshman group, Anna-Kate is dead center, in the white

Fall Retreat, 2007

Forgive the horrible lighting

The groom is as equally sweet as the bride. I don't quite remember the first time I met Leslie, but I remember what a sweet and genuine person he has always been. To give you an example of his genuinely kind spirit, I found a letter today that he had mailed me after hearing me complain about all the junk mail I get. In the letter, after his disclaimer that it was simply a letter of encouragement from a brother to a sister, Leslie shared how encouraging my smile and happiness were to him and others. What a thoughtful letter. 

Anna-Kate and Leslie have a very happy life ahead of them. A life full of glorifying God and encouraging everyone they come in contact with. I am so proud to call you guys friends. Thank you for always being such genuine people. I can always count on you two to lift my spirits and make me smile. I look forward to seeing how God uses your sweet selves to further his kingdom.

The lovely Bride and me

My groom and me 

Updates, Updates

I find the irony of my previous post too much to handle. Only 2 weeks after blogging about my visit to Tuscaloosa and our dodging tornadoes, a massive tornado literally ripped through the city I called home for 4 years of my life. I don't think there are enough words in the English language to express my deepest pains for Tuscaloosa. I also don't think I can stomach reliving the terror of watching the live streaming of that tornado. It was a moment I will never forget.

I also feel a load of guilt for my petty complaints over the newly refinished kitchen of my old house. The house in which I resided for 1/2 of my college career was all but ripped to shreds. That lovely new kitchen has been destroyed. Thankfully, however, my dear friend, whom I once called roommate as well, is safe! God is sovereign. The neighborhood, and even some neighbors, around that house, however, were not so lucky. We grieve for the lives lost.
Here are a few pictures of my old house:

 My house is the white one in the middle

Here is our neighborhood. Our old house is in the top left corner. You can definitely see the path the tornado took. 

The Milo's across the street, where we ate just weeks earlier, was completely demolished in the storm. It is very disheartening to see the damage, but I have no doubts that Tuscaloosa will rise above this, stronger than ever!

On a happier note: I have lost 18 LBS since November, with Weight Watchers!! If any of you are wanting to trim up a bit, please consider WW. It has done wonders for my eating habits. If you've tried WW in the past and it either didn't work or didn't stick, try it again. They have revamped the whole program to where it actually encourages healthy habits (i.e. fresh fruits and veggies are 0 pts, what a deal)! In the midst of my 18 lbs, I reached my 10% weight loss goal that WW set for me. To congratulate me on the loss (and for being in the program for 16 weeks), I got this super awesome key chain and charm. 
Forgive the not-so-great lighting in the photo:

Snaps for me :)

In WW, they encourage you to celebrate your weight loss by treating yourself to something. I decided that for every lb. I lost, I would put $5 into a jar. At the end of my weight loss journey, I would take the $$ I "raised" and go buy myself some new clothes. Well, I had to cheat on that just a little bit, because literally nothing but a couple of shirts and one pair of shorts still fit me. And by fit me, I mean they're not falling off of me. 

Thankfully, Gap was having a 40% off sale today in honor of Memorial Day, so I got a few necessary items to keep me from looking like a complete hobo. And guess what...I fit, with some room to move, in a size 6! I have not been a size 6 since high school!! I'm pretty excited about this. I also donated all of my big clothes to Goodwill, so no excuses for weight re-gain. 

I still have 10 lbs to go to reach my personal goal. However, I'm just not sure that I should lose that much now. For the first time in, I'd venture to say since body image began to matter, I feel good about my body. It's an amazing experience. I'm going to keep trying to lose the weight, but the stress is off. Now, it's the fun part of weight loss. It's the "let's see how much more I can lose" part. 

Anyway, moving on to the rest of my updates. I also lost a few lbs off my head. And no I don't mean I lost an eye or nose. I lost some herr! And by lost, I mean I had some cut off my head. About 6 or 7 inches to be exact. This was my first big hair cut in 3 1/2 years and it was definitely time.

Here is the before and after:

 I was a little nervous

But I think it was worth it!

I dried my hair in 9 minutes today. It used to take me 20!! That's less than half the time! WOW! I'll take that. And I have the cutest, tiniest little ponytail now.

I finally got my post-wedding hair cut...almost a year later. 

Well I believe that is all for my updates. Stay tune for more (really exciting) updates to come! I'm really excited to share our next update, but I must wait. Excited yet? You should be!!! 

OH WAIT! I do have one more update. 

About a month ago, we got a super cool Nikon d40x! It's amazing! Just look at this super awesome picture: 

 

What a doll!!

Alright, that's all. Thanks for reading and being interested in what's new with the Wiggins duo. Remember, stay tuned for some super exciting news coming to a blogspot near you (aka, this one). 

 

A Tornado of Reunions

Last week I had a little vacation time and took a little trip to Tuscaloosa to visit my two favorite friends. We had such a blast and I wanted to share my photos from the week. These were all taken with my iPhone4 and edited on instagram. If you have that app you should follow me @catewiggie.
Enjoy!
First of all, I visited my old roommate who still lives in our old house. It was a wonderful visit, until I realized that our kitchen (that was built in the 1940s) was completely redone. And added a new DISHWASHER!!! I lived in that house for 2 years with no dishwasher because our landlord told us it wasn't possible. Apparently he was lying.

So unfair! It's a whole new kitchen.

On Thursday, Cathie and I had a photoshoot with Aliciana. She is such a great photographer. Here are some of my favorite shots that she took. Check out Lici's flicker page: flickr.com/alicianab

On Friday, we went to Milo's -- My favorite fast food place in Alabama. 

While we were in Milo's the tornado sirens went off and the bottom fell out. We decided it was time to head home and take cover. I took this photo after the tornado passed. We were really scared there for awhile but God is bigger.

Friday night the girls and I decided to go out to our favorite bar, The Alcove, for a few drinks. Afterwards I decided we needed to relive our old college days and go for a late night Taco Bell run.

After one drink each we decided that 11 pm was past our bedtime. So we went back to Cathie's apartment and listened to the endless musical library that is Aliciana's iTunes. 

The next day it was time to head back west. But before I headed back, I had to stop by Wendy's and finish up my super (un)healthy food. 

It was a beautiful day for a 3 hour drive. I just had to take a picture. 

I will never get tired of this sign: "84 miles to Jackson, 7 miles to Chunky"

All in all it was a fantastic week. I had a blast with my best friends. It was so refreshing and exactly what I needed to reboot. Hooray for reunions!!

We are not so different

To the Widows: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like to lose a husband, but I do know what it is like to be disappointed by the one you love the most. I know what is like to face a life that didn't quite turn out as you planned. I know what it is like to allow another person to be the corner piece to your puzzle. We are not so different.

To the Orphans: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like to physically lose a parent, but I do know what it is like to be battered, bruised, and broken by the selfish decisions of a parent. I know what it is like to lay awake at night and long for it to all be different, better. I know what it is like to feel empty and alone. We are not so different.

To the Homeless Man: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like not to have a roof over my head, but I know what it is like to lose faith in humanity, in God. I know what it is like to hope for a better place. We are not so different.

To the Last, the Least, and the Lost: We are not so different. I know what it is like to be alone, wandering aimlessly. I know what it is like trying to find a reason, a path, a purpose. I know what it is like to feel meaningless, searching for something greater. We are not so different.

To the Righteous Man: We are not so different. I know what it is like to feel superior to those around. I know what it is like to feel pious, high, and mighty. I know the pleasure that comes from religion. I also know what it is like to be pitied and downcast. I know the pain that you have caused because I'm sure I've caused it too. We are not so different.

We are all the result of the same fall. We all feel the same pain, share the same hope. We have all lost something or someone. We have all been robbed of our innocence.  We have all been beaten and broken by the world around. We are not so different, indeed.

DIY #2

I think I have a new hobby!! Button hair clips that can double as any other kind of clip as necessary.
I found a super cheap (and cute) hot glue gun and I have just gone wild! I hope I'm not the only one who enjoys these. Let me know what you think. I'm considering selling them (for really cheap).

Also I received my beautiful, colorful, handmade postcards in the mail today which gave me the chance to finish one of the frames in our dining room. Here is the finished product:

I've very pleased with the result! I just have one more frame to finish, then I'm going to trade the big flower picture for a chalkboard. After that our din will FINALLY be complete!! Yay! Only 10 months later.

DIY

Thanks to my sweet friend, Mary Straton, something inside me has ignited that wants to do it all myself. I've always wanted to do some DIY projects, I just needed someone to tell me that it can be done, and how.

Saturday afternoon Mary Straton and I had a girls day out. First we ate lunch at Bon Ami in Jackson. It was delicious. I had the chicken florentine panini, side of fruit, with their DELICIOUS berry tea. It was so tasty. We finished off the amazing lunch with a shared caramel brownie. HOLY. MOLEY!! My tastebuds have never been more happy with me. If you live in Jackson, you must go to Bon Ami and if you get nothing else, you HAVE to get the caramel brownie. So awesome.
Anyway, enough of gushing on this dessert. After lunch we went to Antique Mall and took a look around. While we were there I picked up two old frames and a hat hook. For the frames, MS suggested that I staple chicken wire to the back of them and clip pictures to them. For the hook, I was originally going to tied string on the hooks and hang from each string "C&R" or "C(heart)R".
I was going to hang the frames and the hook along side this painting my best friend painted us for our wedding gift. When I got home I realized that there wasn't enough room for the hook and the frames. So I decided to hang the frames there as planned and use the hook as a jewelry holder instead. As far as the frames, I'm going to pin pictures to one and some postcards on the other. I bought some super cute and colorful, handmade cards from a girl on etsy.com and I am SUPER pumped to get them in the mail soon.
Here is what I've gotten so far:

My jewelry hook

My jewelry hook in my jewelry nook

Can you tell which one I made first?

Our dining room is almost complete!

Once there are pictures and postcards up, I will post a picture of the finished product! I am just so excited  and feel so accomplished having done this by myself. My next big project, sewing a couch and chair cover!!! I have another sweet friend going to teach me how to do so. Otherwise, I would never even attempt. 

Stay tuned for updates!!