The House That Built Me

I know they say you can't go home again. 

I just had to come back one last time.
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam.
But these hand prints on the front steps are mine.
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.
And I bet you didn't know under that live oak
my favorite dog is buried in the yard.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.
From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazines.
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,
and nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness 

inside me might start healing. 

Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could walk around I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Here's to you, 4411 Landon Drive. You provided the perfect backdrop for countless adventures, STNPs (stay the night parties), Gilmore Girls marathons, Tuesday night dinners, and oh so much more. I know you will do the same for the people who now call you home. 

Surprise!

Nothing beats a good surprise and a great friendship.

I am beyond excited to spend the next week together!

Here's to sharpies, yellow tiles, and best friends.

Movie Forts and Sammies

Today I tucked John and Hans in for the last time until February. How will I make it two months without movie forts, playdough fights, countless readings of Elmo's adventures, and car races? To tell you the truth, I am not sure.

These two have taught me more than I could have ever imagined. There innocence is sweet and their love is deep.

I simply can't imagine my weeks without them.

Here's to all the Sammies, bubbles, laughs, and love we've shared.

Football and Farms

Bluegrass. Bourbon. Basketball. All things someone would think of when they hear Kentucky. Football not so much, but that is exactly what landed me there. Samford was playing UK, and conveniently my friend Paul lives in Bowling Green. Perfect? I would say yes; the only thing that could make it even better would be a farm. Oh wait, that's where we stayed.

So there you have it, the perfect mixture for a harvest weekend. Football and Farms.

Most of our friends spent the first night in Nashville, so Rex, Paul, and I held down the fort with some monopoly (which I would have won, but Rex made sure that would not happen... smh) milkshakes, and a fire. It was the perfect Friday night.

The rest of the group joined us Saturday, and we headed to the game. We had to drive about two hours to get to UK, and of course that became an adventure of its own. Rex decided to eat Doritos (the one thing forbidden on any road trip... That smell. Ew.), we learned our hands were in the shape of Kentucky, and the Mississippi River was the star of conversation ( which, Paul can discuss with anyone later if he has a map).

By the time we found our seats, I would feel confident in saying it was 32 degrees. We were frozen by the end, but it was great to see the Bulldogs play. Although, we didn't come away with a W; the memories made were worth it all including the freezing temperatures.

We traveled back to Samford on Sunday, but not before having breakfast at the farm, playing a few rounds of connect four, and sitting in traffic for seven hours.

Memories made? For sure.

Here's to Neil Taing (the real reason we visited UK)

... Jack

I could not imagine my life without these people.

Here's to a night well spent.

Expectations

Recently I have been surrounded by conversations focused on expectations. Are they good? Are they bad? Should we have them? Do they lead to unhappiness? Is it possible to not have them?

Well, I don't really have the answers to these questions, but this is what I will hold my expectation in:

"As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or by death." Philippians 1:20

Here's to a greater expectation.

Just Roll With It

Sometimes things just happen...

You see, Drew is from Prattville, and Doug is from Chelsea. What better way to celebrate these two gentlemen's high school legacies than to attend the Friday night football game between their schools... There is not a better way. We all got pumped for a little Friday Night Lights... a fight song may or may not have been taught. Friday finally arrives, so we all head to Chelsea high school. As we pull up all that greets us is a completely dark field, a few abandoned cars, and empty stands. The game was in Prattville... Yes, we went to the wrong high school. What do we do now? We head to the local arcade of course. Where we drive go karts, play some ski ball, and win a few thousand tickets (That's right this girl hit the jackpot. I have the nerf gun to prove it). We ended the night with some food and a movie, and we laughed from start to finish. It was a great night spent with great people.

Halloween was this week, so we all made plans to celebrate the Saturday before. There was this pub crawl downtown that sounded legit, so that was the plan, in costume of course. About an hour before we were supposed to leave, we realized the pub crawl was last year. Almost everyone was already in costume and ready to party like we're gonna die young (yes, that was a Ke$ha reference. No shame). We began the frantic chase of finding a new party; we were lead to Old Car Heaven's Horns and Halos party. What up DJ silky. We might have been the only people there for a solid hour, but hey an open dance floor and no line at the photo booth... I'll take it.

Both nights ended up being beyond fantastic... See you just gotta roll with it.

Here's to unexpected adventures