Day 18

Had a leisurely morning. One of my favorite things in the world is to wake up, get a cup of hot tea, turn on the Today Show and chill out for an hour. It's the best way to get started. Not often do I have those days, but today was a privilege.
After I got going,I ran some errands and I began the packing-of-the-century. I bought tubs, labeled them, began sorting what needs to be kept and what needs to be sold/given away. There's not much left in my house, but what's left are the essentials. I feel in such limbo.
I need to be searching for God's provisions, God's peace, His plan more. I'm uncertain of how my final days in the US need to look, trying to fit in all I can, but I need to stop and be with Him more. I always find that when I'm at an uneasy pace, I'm not with God like I should be. When I have my priorities in order, I don't feel frantic and feel more led by the Spirit. I guess it's that time for resolutions... obviously, my should be spending more time at His pace.

Day 19

Had lunch at the Byrds' house. Love hanging out with these guys. They're the sweetest, most down-to-earth family I know.

Short visit with the Wood girls. Oh they're a MESS. See video below...

Dinner with Susan.

Had lots of details about my move to update her on. I got on my computer, we both got out our calendars and got to business. It's so nice having someone along this journey of 'details' with me. I can't imagine doing it alone; and wouldn't want to. We crunched numbers, made lists, got info on a schedule and are ready to conquer the world! Let me take a deep breath, take some Aleeve and just look at this list one task at a time.

Invictus

A friend sent this link to me and it's definitely worth the read: check out Marisa's blog.

Loved her honesty about the reality that Mandela's hope was hope in himself and not The One who IS Hope. Thanks for this poem and your passion for South Africa!

Day 20

12.29.09

Baby it's cold outside!
Had 3 cups of hot tea today. Couldn't get warm. Welcome to December in Alabama- hot, cold, hot, cold- who knows what it'll be tomorrow. Got a lot of 'work' done today. Filed papers, began to sort and sort-of pack the house. I'm a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. Maybe I'll just have another cup of tea and worry about that in 2010.

Went to dinner with the Buchanans. Tried this new place at the Summit: Flip. Oh, it's something else!!!! I had a shrimp burger, we shared some interesting sides- homemade fries, onion rings, ... and my favorite ... sweet potato fries with chocolate salt! Then, to top it off, we shared a Krispy Kreme milk shake. That's right, donuts blended with ice cream. I could only take a few sips it was so sweet, but a wonderful, unique experience.

Day 21

Traveled to Trussville to see Dan and Kelly's new home and brand new puppy, Sophie. Dan got lunch and we had a leisurely visit in their puppy-proofed living room. Sophie is so curious and just precious as she hops from one blanket to another to take naps. Dan and Kelly make great puppy-parents! Other than talking about the new furry addition to their family, we got to catch up, talk about ministry, Kelly's crazy nursing sleeping-schedule, and South Africa. These two sweet friends hold a very special place in my heart. This visit did wonders for my spirit and reminded of what great friends I have here in Alabama.

Had coffee with EB. I rarely get to see her and love it when she comes home from college and can spare an hour; we always pick up where we left off and have a wonderful time talking about life. EB runs a busy-schedule and is involved in so many aspects of leadership at Auburn. I can't wait to see what the Lord does with her life. EB gave me an awesome gift- personalized stationery so I can write home from South Africa. They're all green pieces of paper (my favorite); she picked out each of the designs and personalized them herself. She's so creative, thoughtful and talented! I love my friends!

Day 22

Went to the Boston's for Sunday lunch and to see their new puppy, Gracie. At the end of lunch, a crew came over to say hello and hangout. It was a wild gathering. Lots of noise and lots of great friends.

Went to the Carter's house for dinner and games. Oh what fun!

Day 23

Feels like home.

My grandparents (who now take care of my dog Pickles- since I'm moving to South Africa) needed me to keep Pickles one night while they're staying with a friend near Birmingham. Pickles and I have had a sweet afternoon snuggling and recouping from Christmas. It's so nice to have her with me; it's like she never left. She made herself at home!

I HAD to call Rachael... one of Pickles' biggest fans. She came by for a brief visit, gave me a Christmas gift- a hand-made scarf in my favorite color - and sat on the couch for a sweet visit. A great conclusion to the day!

Day 24

Christmas Day

After a huge breakfast, my family and I packed up and drove to Callaway Gardens. We had lunch/dinner reservations at the Lodge at 3pm and then went to Fantasy in Lights at 6pm. Thanks to my ever-so-early grandparents, we were on the first trolley of the night. Even though I've seen this same lights spectacle many, many years, it just makes me feel like Christmas has been celebrated. I'm so exhausted from 'the month of Christmas.' Here's to 2010 that promises to be full of memories and I'm sure a very different Christmas!

Day 25

Christmas Eve
My family got to spend Christmas at Lake Martin. Got to cook, play board games with family and spend time with Pickles!

Day 26

Christmas in this culture is all about go-go-go. This month has been full of hanging out with people, lots of food and go-go-go. I'm trying to enjoy the packed schedule, even though it's against my true nature of needing alone-time, but I know it's not going to last much longer. My life is about to be totally different, so I'm going to go-go-go until I fly out and can go no more.


Today was the 5th annual Heather-Melanie-Christmas-Shopping fun. Heather and I were efficient in our to-do list and got everything on our lists, did some exchanges, and went to lunch! I love Heather and have loved watching her grow up; when we started our Christmas shopping sprees years ago, she was just 9 years old. She's totally grown up and just precious!


Had dinner at Adam and Maegan's house. Jimmie and Max (Pickles' boyfriends) were so much fun! I forgot how great it is to have a small four-legged-companion; I get to see Pickles' tomorrow though. It's always great to be with mission-minded people, talk about life and how we long to be on the mission-field. I'm eager to meet Chloe Belle Keel (due in Feb) through our extended friendship overseas. Praying for the growing Keel family!

Day 27

Lots of Christmas to-dos done today! Spent most of the morning in the kitchen getting things ready for our Callaway Christmas.

Had dinner with the Watfords. Oh what a fun crew. We missed Meaghan, but had a blast with the rest of the gang. The first picture says a lot about how the evening went... everyone to their own beat. We got a good laugh out of trying to self-time a photo with this unruly bunch. Thanks for the dinner and laughs my crazy Watfords!

Day 28

Lunch with Jan L, Lara, and Jan B.Then spent the afternoon with Jan B- finishing Christmas shopping and catching up. We ended the afternoon visiting Haley's new apartment and spending some down-time with her. I love these gals!

THEN- the annual family Christmas party in McCalla, AL. For some, I broke the news about my move to South Africa, for others, it was just a catch-up of the details of my move, the job description, and questions of where I'll live and the physical details. The more I talk about leaving, the more I'm ready to go. Praying that my family will support me and be led to the Throne through this process.

Day 29

12.20.09


Last Sunday on-staff at Shades Mountain Baptist Church.
Picture with the Heath boys. Got to hear Abbey and Callie sing their Christmas special music again! And much to my surprise... Danny called me to the front of the congregation at the end of the service and gave me a generous gift for my mission to South Africa. I felt so much love from the entire congregation. It was a beautiful way to end a chapter on-staff. As I tried to get to my next destination after the service, I was stopped by so many, giving me hugs, some with some tears, but overall, people were so excited for me.



The Wood family took me to lunch- celebrating Lauren's birthday! I love hanging out with them. Danny is the pastor to SO MANY, it's refreshing to know their normalcy and just cut-up with them during a meal. Lauren and I have been close since she stepped foot into the Student Ministry in 7th grade. As she turned 18 yesterday, it was a great reminder of how long we've been together and the sweet relationship we have! I can't wait to see how God uses her!

Had another stick-shift driving lesson with Kent AND KEVI! I think I'm getting it. Kent says I need one more day of practice. That's scheduled after the holidays. I still have anxiety when going from dead-stop into traffic and stopping on the steep driveway using the handbrake to begin again. With practice, I'll be a pro. If I had to go to South Africa and drive today, I could do it.




Finally, the day was concluded with the annual Student Staff Christmas Party! We all brought dishes for our sit-down dinner, played Dirty Santa with items from our home or office (no money could be spent), and then played 'Celebrity.' It was a fun night, full of laughter and in general... wild! When we relax together, craziness happens. The Aderholts saw a whole new side of Scott and Paula and it was awesome!

Day 30

Drove half-way to Atlanta; my friend Liz and I met for breakfast at a Cracker Barrel on I-20- about half-way for the both of us. We caught up and said good-bye. Liz gave me a book: A Year of Mornings: 3191 Miles Apart. It's about two friends that live in different cities and they take photos each day to share with each other. Liz and I love photos and love our breakfasts together. What a beautiful gift and wonderful idea. We're starting a blog- just for the two of us- to share these photos and our lives together while many miles apart! We ended our morning together with Liz praying for my journey to South Africa and a few tears. I can't wait to see how God continues this friendship during this next chapter!

Day 31

Kelsey, Emily and I went to see Invictus- the new movie about South Africa. Both these youth have a great passion for Africa, so we made a pact that we'd go see this movie together! It's definitely worth seeing. The combination of South African history, a view of Cape Town and the actual townships, and a sub-plot of a nation in transition of grace and forgiveness is beautiful! Of course I loved every bit of it. Go see it!



Then, I went to the 12th grade Progressive Dinner. Had a great time hanging out with the students and leadership. The Powells (shown above) made sure to keep me entertained. It was a great addition to the Christmas season and spending time with those I love at SMBC.

Day 32

Lunch with Rachael and Ethan

They're finally home for Christmas and we went to lunch to celebrate!

Hunter and Kevin stopped by to say hello. They always get in the way of productivity. Kevin found a lighter and tried to set things on fire, Hunter threw things at me, I was trying to pack my office.

Can't believe today was my last day in-office. Got a lot of projects wrapped up this morning and had a great meeting with Scott in the afternoon. We called it an 'Exit Interview' but really we just talked, evaluated, and said our good-byes. Scott has been a true blessing to me- he has taught me about ministry, life, family and guided me through God's plans for my life over the past 8 years. I praise the Lord for my friendship with Scott and the lessons I've learned under his leadership!

Dinner with the Braggs- ALL of them! The kids are all home and Lev and Vicki cooked up a storm for this gathering! Lev always teases that he gets the best meals when I come over! Oh, Lev. One of my favorite parts of being with the Braggs is the after-dinner predictability of Lev. He sits in his favorite chair - wanting to be part of continued conversation - but he slowly slides to 180 degrees and falls fast asleep.

Got to do laundry and hangout with the Bragg kids, sipping Costa Rican coffee and watching Christmas specials on TV. It was a wonderful evening!

Day 33

Miss Rosemarie's Tea Room special lunch.

Celebrating Angel's moving back to Birmingham and my move to South Africa. Such a beautiful lunch with precious friends!

Day 34

Big Staff Good-Bye Party
(during regularly scheduled Tuesday Staff Meeting)!
Chic-fil-A biscuits, cheese straws, fresh fruit and punch. Yum!
Was given a few surprises: slinky-dog (to remind me of my dog Pickles) and some sweet chocolate. After the buffet line, it was staff meeting as normal ... proofing documents, going over the week's events, and also watched a leadership video.



Last Staff Ladies Lunch. Zoes and then Pastry Art for a bite of dessert. These little cakes were so amazing! Today was my first Pastry Art experience and I'll never be the same. Thanks staff ladies!

Furiously worked on my to-do list. Lots to do in my last days in-office.
Then, went to dinner at Moes with the Woods and attended Pizitz Middle School Choir Holiday Performance to watch Anna sing. Got to sit with the Woods and the Adlers - much entertainment!

Day 35

Gonna miss Zoes once in South Africa.

Day 36

Sunday

. BUSY Sunday morning

. Staff lunch with new Girls' Ministry Associate

. Core Group Christmas Party- FOOD. Charlie Brown. Rock Band!

. Family Lord's Supper with the Braggs