2009 in review

what a year. here's to hoping and praying that 2010 goes a lot smoother!

january - early in the year, i got to go on a long weekend to colorado with jill. we went to vail and breckenridge.. she skiied and i just enjoyed the snow.

february - a fun little tradition started with this foursome.. "monday fundays" or any day really. just having fun together because we could.

march - lauren and nick got married! it was like 40 degrees and raining and outside but it was perfect!

april - i went to my last phi lamb formal.. 4 years of treasurers.

i also got to see my favorite band ever, sugarland!
may - what a busy, busy month! it started with a fun night for rachael's bachelorette party.
then, with phi lamb's closing ceremonies, the seniors said goodbye.

and finished with graduation!!! yea!!! my whole family came and it was such a fun weekend!

june - rachael and ryan got married in houston and it was beautiful.

july - sweet sawyer marie was born!
and i moved into my very own apartment!

august - my favorite grad students finally finished their masters, graduated from UT and made their way home. but what an incredible three summers!

september - i was lucky enough to get a day off work and tickets to watch my favorite texas longhorns dominate texas tech. hook em!

october - andie found her true calling as a banana for halloween.

november - i spent most of the month playing with these two. jill got her puppy, roxy, in july and they love playing and napping with each other.

december - my life currently looks like this... boxes everywhere as i am packing up and moving out of austin.
come on 2010! a new start in a new city. time to close the doors on 2009 with a bang. happy new years!

on the move again!

the news is true.. i'm packing up my apartment and am heading a little south of this city. my new job and "grown-up" life start monday, january 4th!

as my time in austin is ending, this bizarre, weird feeling has come over me. its definitely bittersweet to be leaving. i've come to a point in my time in this town where it is clear i need something different. i need to leave the hurt behind, carry the good with me, and move on to something different.

there are so many things i'm going to miss here!
including, but definitely not limited to:
-my wonderful, supportive friends.
-the endless list of delicious restaurants only found with a 512 area code.
-the greenbelt. specifically andie's favorite spot on the rocks by the creek.
-the little pieces of everyday life that i've come to cherish so much.

how i know its the holidays

No its not the cute red Starbucks cups.

Nothing about peppermint or candy cane flavors get me excited.

Its not even the hints of decor or christmas music on commercials.

Its these:



And they're in stores now!!

Glorious fudge-covered oreos. These things have been a special holiday treat since I was a little kid and I look forward to them every year. So good!

friend or foe? no?

friend-a person attached to another by feelings of affection; someone who gives support; a person you are on good terms with

community- a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural heritage; a social, religious, occupational or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived as distinct in some respect from the larger society

my preacher on sunday said, as christians, we need to find people who 1. love god and 2. love us and surround ourselves with them to live in authentic christ-like community.

i know there is a difference between the two groups of people in your life. your community includes friends, but not all of your friends are necessarily a part of your community. i don't know if my expectations are off or too high, but i've seen a lot of disconnect between how i define friends and the actions of my community. i have seen nonchristians act as better friends than christians. and i don't understand it.

i feel like there is such a huge push to be authentically christ-like that pursuing friendships has turned into seeking out people who are struggling so you can be jesus to them and help them out of their sin. i realize there is nothing actually wrong with that idea in itself. the disconnect is ocurring because the only purpose of the relationship is to get someone out of sin... not to grow in jesus and daily do life together. it is making people into projects and checking them off when they're done. if there is no healing after getting out of sin, then the issue will only happen again or manifest itself in another place.

i want my community to consist of people who don't want to just be in my life to help "fix me" to add another gold star to their resume, but people who want to support me in the good, hurt with me in the bad, inspire me to change for the right reasons, and spur me on daily. i define friends by loyalty, by laughter and simplicity, by realness and honesty, by safety and comfort, by love. i want to define my community by those things, with the addition of loving each other like jesus, challenging each other to act more as christ and spurring each other on daily.

do i have something off? am i missing something? how do i find more of this?

Christianity in the Workplace

...or lack thereof.

I work with quite the cast of characters.

Conversations include, but are not limited to, my coworker's open marriage, monogamy, religion (two of my coworkers are atheists), legalizing drugs, etc. Whoa. There have been several conversations where we've had to just agree to disagree.

Needless to say, I've learned a lot about people and myself. I've learned to hold my own and explain my opinion. I've learned to be fully informed on a topic to be able to back up my beliefs. It has really challenged my thinking. I'm no longer constantly surrounded by my safety net of college friends. I've met people who are absolutely, 100% different from me and it has broadened my approach to interacting with people.

Strapping on the hiking gear again

I thought I was getting glimpses of the top of the mountain.

I think I had just found a plateau...
I rested there for a little bit... a false sense of clarity. Then I realized there was more climbing to do. There IS more climbing to do.

The plateau was good for a while. God was with me again. I found pieces of purpose again. It seemed to be good. But it was just better than the messy valley I had been in. So much more good awaits me.

I know there is still some hurt ahead, but I will not feel bad fighting for myself to find healing and restoration. Its not wrong and I'm seeing that now. Its okay to fight for myself too.

Where did August go?

In the last month and a half since updating...

1. Sawyer Marie Birkenfeld was born and is the most precious thing in the world.

2. I moved into my own apartment.

3. My sister finished grad school in Austin and left to go back to Florida.

4. I had a job interview... still no verdict.

5. I survived my very first power outages of living alone during a lightning storm.

6. I've learned to live without constant internet access or cable. (Just found a spot in my apartment tonight where I've got some internet action)

7. I've 3 great books... and am on my 4th.

8. God showed up in huge ways and I finally feel like there's an end to this season of drought.

Where in the world is...

...my latest blog update? (the carmen sandiego theme song is now on repeat in my head)

Working, playing, packing, oh my!

It sometimes feels like all I do in a week is go to work, eat, and come home to sleep before starting over. Now, really, that is not true, but I have been working a lot which is good for paying the bills, but bad for my sleep schedule. I'm still on the hunt for a full-time-this-is-what-my-degree's-for job and even got one step further with an interview. It went well; they chose someone with more experience.. who can blame them? But they did mention two other positions opening soon that they will consider me for as well, which is cool. I went home for a quick trip the last weekend of June for a wedding which was a ton of fun! I'm so glad that Rachael's and my path didn't stop crossing in high school and we got to extend our friendship through college. She was a stunning bride and hosted a rockin' reception! I'm getting ready to move into my own apartment on July 22 and am very excited! I'm looking forward to a pretty big "growing up" step in my life and figuring out the living alone season of my life. I have an awesome comfy couch for visitor's though!

life lyrics

"For as much as she stumbles she's runnin'
For as much as she runs she's still here
Always hoping to find something quicker than heaven
To make the damage of her days disappear"

...and so goes the lyrics to a popularly-played country song these days. you may have heard of it- guinevere by eli young band.

i feel like this chorus speaks volumes about my heart/life right now in so many ways. as i'm doing this whole transition out of college and figuring out real life, i'm seeing the wrong turns i've taken and how they're affecting me now. (oh the beauty of hindsight) i'm seeing how the falls and spills of my life have shaped who i am daily in good ways and bad. yet, i still carry on each day, still learning and figuring out my way... feeling like and knowing that i'm a very different person than i was just a year ago (let alone four years before college), but also seeing that i'm in the same place and learning some things over and over again. i know in the end it will all be good, but some days i can't help but feel tired of the changing and processing as i try to find a faster answer.

what i learned in college

1. god is real
2. good friendships are hard, but worth the fight
3. you don't hurt family
4. life's not about what you learn in a classroom
5. i'm not in control
6. sometimes its easier to ask for forgiveness later than for permission first

normally, i'd expand on these things.. share a funny story of something dumb i did to learn them or an anecdote of why these things are important. however, this list is in no way all-inclusive nor am i done figuring them all out. so, for now, that is it... a short list of some big ideas that i learned about in the last four years.

every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/dear-graduate/
^a good article for graduates... for everyone. its advice for life.
highlights from the article:
-do one thing everyday that scares you.
-learn to cook.
-avoid phony controversies.
-volunteer.
-nourish your friendships.

if i could add my own things to the list:
-make a decision purely for yourself. just because you want to even if it makes others upset/disappointed/etc. there have been a handful of decisions i have made in college just because i wanted to do something. i thought for myself, weighed the pros and cons, and went for it. i have never regretted them once and they have helped me gain confidence and boldness in myself.
-love people hard. without second thought. intentionally. show grace and mercy to people even when you're hurt. be compassionate. care about others.
-be purposeful. do things with a reason. be intentional in relating to others... listen for the answer when you ask how people are. make goals.
-leave work at the office. i don't want my job to ever define my life more than loving god and people. so while its possible to be intentional at the office, don't bring the work junk home, to your dinner plans, to your friends, etc

i didn't know this day would ever come... the last day i ever have to walk into a classroom as a student. i don't plan on ever doing it again! no inkling of grad school here- i am done.

funny fortunes...

"your principles mean more to you than any money or success" -my fortune cookie from dinner tonight

oh the irony!

i get this fortune on the same day as:
1. not getting any response from yet another two job applications from last week. (i've stopped counting how many times this has actually happened... NO ONE is hiring.)
2. finding out for sure that my boss doesn't have the budget to give me a full-time salary... which equals no job after a 2 year internship there.
3. determining my last day of work at the current job.

hello unemployment! at least i'll have my principles! :)

my updated plan for life = currently seeking out a well-paid part-time job with a good amount of hours so at least i'll be getting a pay check while waiting on the economy to reboot and offer me my dream job with full benefits. :) here's to not getting sick while i don't have a full-time job/insurance! holler!

american idol!

a picture of the final 5 as of last week. matt (far right) was kicked off last week. the final four are now:
-danny (far left): my favorite, but i don't think he'll win. i just think he's the sweetest thing ever!
-adam (in the back): the obvious crowd favorite. he's done broadway so he can put on quite the show. i'm not a fan and would prefer he goes home tomorrow. i mean he should just stay on broadway with his previous success. maybe he'll get a lead role now. (is that mean?)
-allison (the only girl): she's only 17 and such a rockstar. i'm predicting her for the win if she makes good song choices. she reminds me of kelly clarkson but with a little more of the punk edge.
-kris (in the white tee): one word= adorable. he sure can melt a girl's heart. too bad he's definitely married. :)

so i'm hoping adam goes this week. i can't decide between danny and kris going home next leaving allison for the win!

what's next

25 days! 25 days! 25 days!

til graduation that is! :) i have just 6 more days on campus which includes, 1 group project, 1 test, 1 quiz, and 1 final! its all just down to 1's!! yay!

yesterday i picked up my cap and gown... my tassel said 2008- got that fixed so now its time to go!

go where you ask? beyond may 22 and 23, beyond the celebrations and family visiting, beyond finishing college, beyond all that, I HAVE NO IDEA.

logistically, i have a lease until july 31, so i'll be in austin for the summer. as far as what i'll be doing for a job, currently that looks like waiting for God to show me some direction. i trust the He will. i'm just slightly anxious about timing. megan-dare i use your wet paintbrush/blurry box analogy from high school? :) i feel like everything's on fast forward-days and nights get mixed together and i can't keep them separate. i feel like i'm going to make it all the way through graduation and then just stop, wake up, and realize there's nothing pushing me anymore because i passed it without breathing to realize it happened.

what's amazing about this all is that i am not overwhelmed and consumed by not having a job. i mean, yea, i have my dramatic, stressed-out moments, but they're not everyday. i have peace that it'll work out. that's what i've been praying for the most... peace about everything.

i feel like i don't have any huge goodbyes because i'll be around austin and its just a question of what i'll be doing to pay the bills. i feel like staying in this place i've known for 4 years and changing to push out of the campus-bubble and safety net will be a challenge. but its one i'm eager to see play out. i love this city. i feel like i have purpose and challenge here.

middle school musings

8th grader in my after school club: "miss, you should stop drinking dr. pepper."
me: "why's that?"
girl: "those calories are really starting to add up." (pokes my stomach with her pen)

after work, i went shopping and got ice cream. :)

a hint from hamlet

"doubt thou that the stars are fire;
doubt thou that the sun doth move;
doubt truth to be a liar;
but never doubt that i love."
-shakespeare, hamlet

if you ask me what the best feeling in the world is, i'd say, for me, its having someone say "i love you" and knowing, beyond any doubt, that they mean it. i have been truly blessed to have people show up throughout my life that have loved me very well- beyond any shadow of a doubt, no matter the distance between us, or the time between visits. i can only hope that i have been a friend that has done the same for others. that the people i care about never question if and how much i care.

one of the most important things we're called to do as christians is love... through everything. i hope that i am not a fair weather friend that simply loves when its easy, but that i dig in deep and love through the hurt as well.

counting sheep on my way to sleep

and counting days for that matter...

less than 50 days until graduation- the day i get to walk across a stage as i'm completely done with my formal higher education; the day i "magically" become a grown up and have life figured out (not really buying this one); the day i stand alone as an adult with full adult responsibilities (yikes!); the day that "real life" begins.

it feels so close, yet so stinkin far! i have 2 tests, 2 quizzes, 5 papers, and 1 final that stand in the way and i can not wait to be done with the school part. but the uncertainty about what follows and where its going to happen make me want to put it off til its all figured out. ptl that its not in my control!

holiness

"we've become so intoxicated with 'God is Love' that we forget God is holy and, then, our sin becomes tame."

this was the topic of a sermon at church a few weeks ago. it has had me thinking everyday since i heard it. the preacher was talking about holiness... about pursuing it and the evidence of it.

other talking points i haven't forgotten:
-"to not pursue holiness is to receive hollowness"

-"we're not called to live impure lives, but to live holy lives."

-"holiness is an inclination of the heart towards God- a divorce from all that's impure."

-"a transformed life is the clearest evidence for Christianity."

why does this hit me so hard? i think i've got it down to the fact that this year is the year i've learned about sin... i've learned about the complete weight and heaviness of it- the devastation of it. so much of what i had been taught was of how much God loves me and how He works for good that the greatness and variety of His character was lost beyond His love. i was so blinded by His love that my sin became almost minor which is so, so off. i now grasp how significant each sinful act is because of how much it hurts God... how it makes just no sense to invite Satan into a place where God lives through my sinful acts. okay, i get it.

this has NOT been an easy lesson. and i know i haven't fully learned it. it has been a painful year to gain a grasp on my sin. i'm still figuring out some pieces. so where does it leave me?

it leaves me with a better grasp on the mercy and grace i've been handed. it leaves me with tears of grattitude because of the eternal goodness i've been promised. and it leaves me with something to strive for.

holiness.
i'm striving for a lifestyle that is not simply "good" because i've followed the set of rules for the day, but for a lifestyle that rejects my sinful nature by seeking His face. i know i will fail. i know i will have some better days than others. but it leaves me hopeful that my attempt is more effective than living a complacent life of sin.

anything's possible

it is definitely possible to write a 5 page paper in an hour and a half. its even more possible to write two different 5 page papers in three hours. i know this because i did it successfully yesterday morning. thank you senioritis. 73 days til graduation. praise the lord! 

i officially have 7 weddings to attend starting this very weekend and through september. i'm so excited! i love weddings! 

i think i have found the right path again. i can see the way back up and am so so thankful that the lord has revealed himself yet again. praise god for hope and the promise of restoration! its still a daily battle, but i know the good that is waiting for me.

senioritis at its finest

is it possible to write a 5 page paper in an hour and a half??

i'm about to find out.

spring break: t minus 56 hours and counting.

for megan marie

chipmunk cheeks. day 3. i think the right side is bigger than your baby bump megs :)


wisdom teeth surgery went well. still swollen, but it hasn't kept me from my favorite foods! i've already gone for grilled chicken and whataburger!

truth

⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 corinthians 12:9-10

this is the truth i'm praying i live in daily... the hope i have to keep climbing.

update

i think this is the biggest mountain i've ever seen.

in other news:
job search
i applied for three more jobs.
one told me that i didn't have enough "post-college experience." how am i supposed to have post-college experience if i'm still in college?!
**keep fingers crossed/say a prayer/whatever it is you do for the job at UT! i'ts working with high school kids making sure they know and understand UT's policies for bringing credits into college. my concern is that they want to fill it now and not wait for graduation. i submitted a resume and then was asked to provide references. we'll see!

life
i'm getting my wisdom teeth out on friday and am a little nervous from some bad anesthesia experiences. my surgery is supposed to be easier than most because i only have wisdom teeth on the top.

school
i highly appreciate those kids who complete the entire test review days before the test and then post it online to the class facebook group. i want to find them post-test and give them a hug.
graduation countdown: 82 days.


where the heck is spring break when you need it???

climbing mountains

in life, i have both literally and figuratively climbed some huge mountains. i have experienced the physical pain of climbing a mountain... of the rough terrain, of scrapes and bruises. i have spent a week in the mountains backpacking. i have stood at the top of the continental divide and wept in awe of my god's creation. i have reached the peak of a mountain just after sunrise and seen more beautiful scenes than people put on postcards.

pictures don't even do justice to the beauty i've seen in the mountains. how awesome is our god that he made these sights? that there are mountains all over the world... they all look different- snow-covered mountains in a colorado winter, the deep luscious greens of mountains in hawaii, the calm fog on a morning in the blue ridge mountains- but they all strike a sense of awe within my heart.


i'm coming to enjoy literally climbing mountains more than figuratively doing it... i'm talking about those hard heart lessons of mountains. climbing the mountains and learning the hard lessons of life is tough work. tougher than getter over the scrapes, bruises and exhaustion of climbing a real mountain. climbing figurative mountains is just as worth it though. getting to those peaks of understanding and seeing god's plan is worth the work of processing and struggling to get there.

right now, i'm on the way up... fighting the wearing days, feeling the fatigue, thirsting for truth and a glimpse of the top. i feel like i've been climbing this mountain for so long. have i gotten lost? did i start out on the wrong trail? i momentarily lost the map that god wanted me to use. but i'm working my way backwards, retracing my steps, to figure out where i lost the right trail so i can get back on it. it hurts, its confusing, its frustrating.

i feel like david in psalm 13...
¹ How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

⁴ my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

but i have hope! praise god for that! i know that when i make my way back to that trail leading me up and not astray, that i will make it. i will get to that peak. i will find the clarity. and i will rejoice.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

⁶ I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

i will sing to the lord for he has been good to me my 22 years. and he continues to be good to me even when i lose my footing sometimes.

25 things about myself.

the fun facts from facebook...

1. I thank God for mercy and grace practically daily.
2. My toenails are rarely ever not painted. And 99% of the time its a shade of pink. If my fingernails are painted, its just a french manicure. I don't like color on my fingernails.
3. I never ate avocados or guacamole until I was a sophomore in college. Now I eat them every chance I get!
4. I pray for a niece or nephew to show up in my life and ask my sister and ross for one pretty regularly. I realllllly want to be an aunt.
5. I have a slight addiction to dr. pepper.
6. I watch reruns of One Tree Hill, The OC and 90210 on the soap network almost every afternoon.
7. I actually love to read any book not assigned in a class I'm taking. On the same note, I actually like learning on my own time, just not to be forced to do it on my professor's schedule. That is why I don't like school.
8. Getting a dog was one of the best decisions I've ever made, hands down. It really has taught me to be more selfless and responsible. And its made me healthier too. :)
9. I've learned some hard life lessons in college, but feel like I've taken some of my classroom education for granted.
10. After being born, I went home and lived in the same room in the same house until I came to college. My parents just moved out of that house a month and a half ago.
11. My tv guilty pleasure is Secret Life of an American Teenager. But I also watch One Tree Hill, Grey's, Private Practice and Jon and Kate Plus 8.
12. I have to have a glass of water before I go to sleep at night.
13. I'm a lot more boring than I used to be. Somewhere between sophomore and junior year of college, I learned the value of sleeping.
14. I love going two-stepping. Its kinda a prerequisite for any guy in my future. Or at least a willingness to learn and take me dancing.
15. I miss the summer of 2007. a lot.
16. In first grade, I cut my own bangs in the dark without a mirror just in time for family Christmas photos. That picture lives on in the church directory. I wore a lot of hats for the next 6 months.
17.French fries are one of my favorite comfort foods.
18. I don't respond to a lot of things quickly because I don't like to respond out of any negative emotion.
19. Polar bears are my favorite animals. When I was younger, I used to want to grow up and turn my garage into a giant freezer so I could have one for a pet.
20. I really honestly love my job. Even if I'm having a busy week of school and some of my middle schoolers act insane, there are a handful of girls in my club that just make my life better. And I know a lot of really random information that always comes in handy.
21. I looove the beach. the sunshine, sand, warmth... I have so many fun memories from growing up near the beach (even if it was just Galveston) and other beach vacations. It will always be a special place to me. Thats why I want to get married on a beach.
22. I've wanted a tattoo since high school. I promised my parents I'd wait til after college to get it. Check back this summer :)
23. I honestly don't feel weird about being in the stage of life where my friends are married/getting married. And I like going to my friend's weddings. Mostly because I like to dance.
24. Blink 182 is back together, recording a new cd, and planning their next tour. My middle school self has a hard time containing my immense excitement about this. I plan on being at a concert near me.
25. I want to have horses when I'm older. I love them. I wish I had grown up around them regularly.

brrrrrrrr!

its colllllld outside! i think i accidentally brought the colorado weather back to austin with me. my most sincere apologies for that. but, my trip to colorado was a ton of fun. i even tried skiing one of the days there. 'tried' being the key word there... from now on i'll just stick to sledding and ice skating. :)jill and i walking around the town of breckenridge. she skiied that morning and i read the new jon and kate plus 8 book in the lodge. :)

me and jill after sledding on our last day in colorado.

cover letter

dear future employer,

i'm applying for a position that you have the power to give or not give to me. i realize that i am just out of college with no real job experience and there are probably a lot of highly qualified applicants. but, i'm smart. i'm a hard worker and a really fast learner. so take a chance on me. all i ask is that my salary is high enough to pay my rent in a safe neighborhood, cover my bills, and to feed myself.

thanks,
kristi anderson

2008 in pictures.

here's a review of my 2008 in pictures. i've seen this on a few other blogs- the idea is one picture per month, but sometimes one just isn't enough.

january:
i brought in 2008 on a trip to hawaii with my friend jill. it was incredible! in this picture we are at my favorite beach, bellows.also in january, i turned 21! :)

february:along with my 4 co-officers in phi lamb, i pulled off planning, hosting, and managing the budget for a weekend-long celebration of the sorority's 20th year of being around. this is me and my officer group with our board representative, ricci, after one of the events during the weekend.

march:

I GOT A DOG!! she's the sweetest little mini pin mix around. her name is andie. i adopted her in march and i love her. also in march, for spring break, my friend krystal and i made a list of things we had always wanted to do in austin, but hadn't yet. kayaking on town lake was a blast!

april:one of my favorite weekends in austin was full of friends. jill, who was living in colorado at the time, came to austin for a weekend and everyone had a ton of fun. this is elyse, jill, me, and krystal downtown after she had just gotten into town.

may:
in may, i finished my year of being of an officer for phi lamb. at our closing ceremonies, i read scripture and prayed over our new treasurer, andrea.

june:june brought summertime and my favorite grad students back to austin! my sister spends her summers in austin working on her masters at UT with her two friends lesley and bethany. my sister and i had our first experience being on 6th street together for bethany's bachelorette party.

july:my first july 4th in austin was great! the boys grilled burgers and hot dogs and then we sat on a balcony at city hall to watch the town lake fireworks.

also in july, i spent a day on lake georgetown with a bunch of friends boating, tubing, and watching some wakeboard.on the last day of july, tanner dell antley made his way into the world and my sister and i hustled to houston to meet him.

august:i finished my second summer working with some awesome kiddos at girlstart!

september:i started my last year of college and had my last special meeting for phi lamb to get my last little sis. this is most of the seniors in phi lamb after that meeting.

october:
my sister, dad, and i pulled off an awesome surprise 50th birthday party for my mom in october! here she is just walking in. :)

november:
november started off with a bang! or more of a crash... i got in a wreck (not my fault) and was left driving a rental car for the rest of the month. lucy (my car) is back in good health though!my parents and i after i got my UT ring! hook em!

december:december brought the wedding of my sweet friend lauren. i've been so blessed to work with lauren and all the girls in this picture over the last 2 years.and finally, i finished off the year with a family trip to florida to visit my sister and brother-in-law. we spent a day at disneyworld :)

here's to 2009!