The Sweet South

Let me just say, North Carolina was beyond amazing. I met so many family members and saw a different way of living. Now I am back to a different kind of living as well...the college living! Yup, it's that time of year again when I am all packed up away from home and living at my "other" home. I am settled in my new apartment and ready for my senior year of college to start. Before the life of college takes over, I will take you back to the Sweet Southern memories that I will forever hold and let you glimpse through my glass.

*I wish I had a Southern accent.
*Thunder storms in North Carolina are unbelievable. I was mesmerized, but to the locals it was completely normal to have a lightning storm every night. Everything is green and wet there. The South is humid, and when I came back to the West I felt like a fish out of water!
*Grits are not my favorite food, but everyone says that they grow on you.
*Frog legs literally taste like chicken (Yes, I tried frog legs. I saw it so many times on Duck Dynasty that I had to take a bite!)
* Every Avery will have some sort of storage unit holding stuff that are dear to them (I already have two vehicles and things in my Gramps and Granny's basement...I am off to an early start).
*Meals are very important in the South.
*Hush puppies are delicious!
*Homemade ice cream is the best kind ice cream.
*The Pasquatank River is one of those "heart stopping views." Maybe I am a little bias because of family memories, but it sure stopped my heart.
*Blue crabs are pretty yummy fresh off the river, but it's a little different when I am talking to one of them one second and eating it 30 minutes later.
*Boogie boarding in the Atlantic Ocean must happen again. The water is soooo warm.
*Climbing the tallest light house in the nation was definitely a site to see at the top. After 257 stairs up, the view was beautiful.
*The Wright Brother's National Park was way interesting to see. I was able to see where the first flight was successful.
*Kayaking in the swamp was really relaxing. I don't know if the cotton mouthed snake was too happy we were near his home, but he swam away real quick...thank you Jesus for that!
*Sayings I picked up from the South are "youngins, fussin, favors, and you all"
*And my favorite, sweet tea can be ordered everywhere...including the Wendy's. What a life :)

Here is a small something I wrote that may give a little bit more of an understanding of what the South is like. I hope that you can feel a little bit of what I felt on this day.
August 3, 2013
     In the South, at least in North Carolina ("Carolinar"), everything moves slow. As I sit in the white rocking chair on the porch, I watch as the thunder clouds roll in and they even seem to take their time. Oh, and the thunder is rolling. The sun peaks into the world every so often and then lets the clouds be.
     I sit here in this white rocking chair (as almost everyone has one on their porch) to write. It's the only way I know how to capture the moment. Maybe that's why everyone here has the white rocking chairs, because they see life moving here. Gramps told me it is because back in the day, no one had air conditioning so everyone sat on their porch for cool air, but maybe there is another look onto that. And maybe they are white to check for the bugs on the chair. I know I checked for them, especially ticks...the white must be easier for them to see! At least that's my idea :)
     "Now" is so much different compared to "then." I've heard so much about everything; blanchin', shellin', pickin' corn, sortin' berries, adding salt when cannin' and not owning a microwave. Aunt Mary mentioned that in 1985 one was given to her for Christmas, "big ol' thang" she said it was. Time sure passes quickly. As for now, I will sit back, and watch the storm sweep through on this white rocking chair, so that it as well, does not quickly pass me by.

What's It to You?

     I feel like I have been using the word "it" quite a bit lately. Not purposefully, but IT is just something that is on my mind. Now what is it? It is different for every single person. Anything can be it.
     To fill you in, these are how the next couple of weeks are going to go. I will leave to North Carolina day after tomorrow, be there for about a week and a half, fly back to Boise, and then leave to Portland four days later. Talk about about a whirl wind of things happening! I love it and I am so excited, but what I want to focus on is being present in the moment. I want to take advantage of each experience that I have because North Carolina is a once and a life time experience, at least for a visit like this. Remember back in November when I posted about my great grandfather passing away? Well, I am meeting all of his relatives. All relatives I have not met. I will be able to see family property that has been passed down from generations to generations. I am so prepared to be called sweetie and honey in a southern accent while sipping on southern sweet tea. I want to see North Carolina thunder storms and enjoy every moment of it. I don't want to take the moment that God has granted me, focusing on what is going on in my life in Boise and what is to come in Portland.
     The other night, dad and I were cleaning the barn to prepare to buck hay the next day. Bucking hay is just another word for saying that we took bails of hay off of a pasture and stacked them inside of my barn. This is said in simple terms. Come out and help, and after 56 bails in the 102 degree weather you will be saying some words that normally don't come out of your mouth ;) Sooo now that that is cleared up, after dad and I prepared the barn, I sat on my fence and watched the sunset. I know that sounds cliche, but I was completely in the moment. There was a calm breeze on my face as the bright pink sky faded behind the foothills, and I was left to my thoughts. I closed my eyes and just listened to what was around me. I opened them to see my horse and two goats, and realized that this is IT. This is what I want. I want this moment. I want the feeling of this moment. I love this peace. When people talk about where God is and how he talks to people, I think this is a perfect example. God is everywhere, all the time, but when the earth turns a bit slower for people to pause and understand what they are feeling, such as me sitting on my fence, God is a lot easier to feel.

     So my question to you is this. What is IT for you? 

     If someone were to ask me this a couple of days ago I would response, "I don't know. I have an idea, but I don't have one solid answer." IT comes in the moment. I don't know if someone can "make" IT happen. I don't think people can find IT. I think IT finds people.

I think God uses IT to become closer to our hearts, leading us farther along into our journey. 

Papa, I finally get to see your North Carolina.

When You Least Expect IT

Yesterday I was exhausted. Yesterday I had hit my limit. Do you know that feeling when you are so emotionally and physically drained that you want to just sit and cry, but there is no real reason to? You hit a red light, so you want to say things that are not usually used in your vocabulary. You are sitting on the couch and the dog wants out and all you want to do is say, "can't you let yourself out?" Okay, so these are just everyday situations that seem so easy to handle, but when being tired is in the equation, these situations seem so much more difficult. Why am I bringing this up? Because yesterday was this kind of day.
After running on 4 hours of sleep, I got ready for a 10.5 hour day of nannying. Now, I don't want to give off the wrong impression. I love my job. I adore the child I watch and I am so blessed to be such a big part of his life. The reason I was tired was because working out, working, taking care of my animals, spending time with family, filling out papers for my senior year in college, researching master school programs, and trying to have a social life kind of brought me to a tired state of mind. I was physically and emotionally wiped out.
I went to work after my 6:45 AM workout. I played all morning, took care of the 11 week old puppy, and then got ready for swim lessons. I did not put on my swimsuit, instead I decided to take a day off from swimming with the child I am watching and let him play with other kids. After about 10 minutes following swim lessons, he comes up to me and asks, "Christi...can you swim with me?" How could I say no? "Of course," I said, "come with me to change into my swim suit. After I was ready, we went into the pool and we swam. In the middle of the pool are small fountains the kids can play in. The little boy ran into the fountains and said, "CHRISTI! LOOK LOOK!" as he was trying to grab the water. A sudden change in my spirit occurred. Life is so precious. He loves life, and a small bit of water makes his life even better. Innocence is beautiful, and his life is only beginning.
Why am I wasting time by being upset with hitting a red light? Why am I upset when I need to get up off of the couch to let my dog out? In reality, I need to sleep, and psychologically there is fact to that. But, I can control my attitude. So today, after my 5:45 AM workout, I was tired. But the difference between yesterday and today is that I am tired, as well as happy. When I least expected something positive during my day, my spirit recognized how precious life was, and I want to take advantage of every precious moment.
So today, I love.
Tomorrow, I can only be excited for.

Tomorrow I have a visit at a master's program! Wish me luck :)  

Learning, Faith & Living

As I wrote a few blogs ago, I am incorporating a blog into a class of mine. I will dedicate this blog to how I integrate learning, faith and living in my life :) 

Where would I be without family?

Learning

Faith

Living

Sometimes You Just Need to Embrace

The word embrace is so broad.

I typed into the search of pinterest the word "embrace" and quotes, pictures, and even bras appeared. It's something that I have been challenged with these last few days. "Embrace each moment and live to its fullest." "Embrace life because you don't know what is to come." "Embrace people with love." 

So what does it really mean to "embrace?"

Maybe people embrace the wrong things. What I am learning is that if I embrace God, I embrace life. When I embrace and seek Jesus in what I do, I embrace everything around me. 

Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow is Wednesday. Next week is dead week (the week before finals; we call it dead because everyone runs around at night getting work done and are zombies the next morning in their classes). Here is the cherry on top to finish my junior year: 

Next week is dead week.

May 5th is my birthday. 

May 6th is the starting of finals. 

May 10th and 11th are conference.

Mom will be here for Conference on May 9th. 

Nationals?

Challenge of the day!

What are you embracing?

Happy Tuesday :)

Boston

My prayers go out for Boston.

Story and updates at http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/15/explosions-near-finish-of-boston-marathon/?hpt=hp_t1

What kind of a world do we live in to be surrounded with fear? A world that needs prayer. As an update from Yahoonews says, there is a moment of silence at 6:30 pm tonight for the victims of the two explosions. 

Pray for Boston.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

1 Corinthians 16:13

Tables May be Turning

These last couple of days have been feeling new. I think there are a couple of reasons for this "new feeling." 

1. There are three more academic weeks left of school. I always get anxious when this time comes. Anxious in such a way that I roll around in bed not able to sleep. I have things to get done, track meets are coming to an end, and something that really keeps me from being settled is knowing that I won't be sleeping in the same place in a matter of time. I know this is a silly thought, but it is how my mind works. Remember, change is not my favorite thing, and when I know that the end of the year is coming, I also know that a new apartment is coming as well, only to leave my old apartment behind. 

2. Summer is soon! Even though change is not always my favorite time of life (which is silly because it is ALL the time. Honestly, it's one of the things that is actually promised for everyone.) it means that seeing Kelsey (my horse), my goats, family, friends, and home soon. That does mean I leave my home here for a temporary time as well. The "new" feeling is technically a "transition" feeling. There is nothing new about what is happening, only what is to come after the transition. 

3, 4, 5, 6...I'm not sure of the other reasons at the moment, but I am sure when I stop writing I will think of many more :) 

Today is Saturday and I did not have a track meet. It has been such a weird season. Indoor Nationals created a short outdoor season for me, but it sure has been fun. Yesterday, the team and I traveled only 20 minutes down the street for a fun, relaxing relay meet. I only ran two 100 meters in two relays and I high jumped FOR FUN. My friend Deb and I made a deal. Deb said, "if you high jump, I will run a 200 meter dash." Well, there is no way I would pass that up, because she defiantly got the hard end of the stick! I jumped 4'4" (not too shabby for never jumping!) and Deb ran her way to the finish line of the 200. The first thing out of her mouth while she laid on the ground was, "why would anyone ever do this for fun?!" It was a great memory. My 4x100 relay team ran a 49.99 seconds. That is a season record, so lets see if we can make another season record. Nationals is in the low 48s. 

Meet Deb :)

Fast Flashback: Three minutes after the parents left all of the new freshmen at college in 2010, Deb and I were standing alone wondering, well...now what? We were in a new place, we knew no one, and our parents had just left back to their states. I was wearing a track sweatshirt. Deb tapped my shoulder and asked, "do you run track?" 

It all started from there. 

Listening in life is a key component to where someone wants to go, and where they will go. I believe that God speaks to people in so many different ways; dreams, signs during a day, gut feelings, conversations, anything. I bring this up because I feel like God is doing something in my life that I wasn't expecting. I need to pray about it, see what he is up to, and when I find more out I will share. I am sharing this small glimpse because I think that thinking before speaking is important. Sometimes God wants you to only listen to him, and other people's opinions may not be from God. I can't wait to share what is going on within my life.

Happy Saturday everyone! 

I treated myself to a pedicure today. What will you treat yourself with? 

You deserve it!