Wednesday, September 28, 2011

I'm a picture thief

...and whatcha gonna do about it?
Here's me living the good life:


















Fall lake days. I love you.

Summer. Come back.

Friday, September 23, 2011

It's FALL y'all

Today is the first day of my favorite season!

Can't wait for...
drinking coffee on cloudy afternoons.
cuddling in blankets.
good comfort food.
FOOTBALL.
crunchy leaves.
yummy smells.
wool.
apple cider.

I LOVE FALL!

But we are having a little bit of a problem with letting go of Summer and are heading to the lakehouse this weekend for one final goodbye. I can't wait to play all day in the water with my friends!
Yay summer turning into Fall!

Happy freakin' weekend, Bloggies!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Duces

I'm not sure what's taken me so long to write this post. But here it is... finally.

I'M 22 Y'ALL!
aka duces.
aka twenty-THREE is next.
aka old.
aka nothing exciting happens at 22.

But it was a great day of birth. I'm still having a hard time contemplating the fact that I'm 22 (and a week). And I've lived every moment of it. Holy moly life goes by fast.

I felt so loved. So many texts and calls and of course the Christmas of Facebook (thanks Meghan Davis). From Panera breakfast to lunch with the Grandparents to ice cream surprises to dinner and small group and party at Red Saile. It was really a fantastic day.

My biffle (BFFL= best friend for life) is so great at birthdays. If celebrating birthdays was a spiritual gift it would be her's. Hands down. She's the one that organized the party by sending out a text that said,
"Today is Chelcie's/Bubs/Klutz/whatever you like to call her birthday! Come to Red Saile at 9 to celebrate with the happiest girl I know."
If someone said that about you, you can't tell me it wouldn't just absolutely make your day life. She is awesome.
And boy did she cover some territory with that text. Because we had quite the crowd at the Red Saile house. And a huge variety. (I guess that's a benefit to not fitting perfectly in anywhere- LOTS of friends! From LOTS of different places). Such a fun thing.

A little late night neighborhood bonding finished the night off. (Have I mentioned how awesome I think it is to have cool neighbors? It rocks.)

It meant so much to be celebrated. I feel humbled to get call such awesome people my friends.

I love my backporch. Spending time out there was a perfect bday treat!

My personal poster that was made and signed (and is still hanging). One of the perks of being a YoungLife leader.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who made my birthday special.
Love y'all more than ice cream and cake and cake.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Double dippin'

I didn't name this post that because someone was biting snacks and dipping back into the dip. But I'm doubling up and writing about two things at once. So almost the same thing. But not. At all.
Preface: this is lengthy. So grab a Diet Coke or tune out your professor before you read on...

So anyway,
SharpTop Cove leaders' retreat was this weekend. Just what I needed. Time with my favorite people, time with Jesus, and time with people encouraging and lifting us up.
Sometimes doing YoungLife ministry gets discouraging (high schoolers can be mean!!), so it is just great to be able to get away for a little while and be reminded that what we do matters and someone is appreciative.

Some of my favs:
Love, love, love

From Bearden Bulldogs to YoungLife leaders all over TN. Holla!

Sweet teammates (plus Blake)

More sweet teammates
 I had a theme of matching boys this weekend:
First PM

Then Austin


My most favorite "take away" from this weekend was "You don't have to be awesome." Weird thing to take away from all that was said? Maybe. But I really have loved reflecting on this.
Tom Job was the "speaker." (I feel funny calling him this because it seems like "speakers" speak at the kids and Tom seemed to be speaking to us. Like he was having conversations specifically with us. I don't know, this probably doesn't make sense, just my thoughts...). Tom told a story on Saturday night and I'm going to try and retell it. (If you are reading this and were there and heard the story too, bear with me if I get some of the details wrong, I'm going for the gist of it.)
A guy he knows was working for sometime in Boston. One day on the subway he ran into a girl. He started talking to her and just knew he had to see her again. She was leaving to go home in California in two days, so they decided to meet for coffee the next night. That night felt led to share his faith with her. So he talked and she listened. He knew he needed to ask her if she wanted Christ in her life too, but he just couldn't make himself speak it. He got scared. He wasn't awesome. So she got up, thanked him, and left. Tom told us that story exactly 10 years to the date after it happened. September 10. The next morning, the girl got on a plane that flew into the World Trade Center. She never made it back home. The man was so upset. He knew he had missed his opportunity. And now it was too late.
But years later he was watching Dateline when a couple was being interviewed about their daughter who had died in the attacks. They said she had called them the night before she died and told them her life had been changed that night and she couldn't wait to tell them about it when she saw them again. She never got the chance. But it was the was girl. Her life was changed. This man once thought he missed his opportunity, when in actuality he changed a life. He thought that he hadn't been awesome. He hadn't done it right. Yet, a life was changed despite his mess ups. This girl's life was still changed. Because of him.
So often I feel the very opposite of awesome when doing ministry at Halls. But then I'm reminded I don't have to be awesome! Because Jesus is.  

Now, on to my "double dip." How in the world has it already been a decade since September 11th? Wow. I remember it so clearly. West Valley. 6th grade. I was Addie's age! Mom picked Ashley Campbell and me up from school. Her dad, our pastor, got Sarah and Drew from their elementary school. We went to Grandmom's house. And watched TV all day. I'll never forget it. I was so young. But felt so old. I remember that beeping. The sound of the personal locator devices the rescuers were wearing. The ones that were going off after the towers fell. An eerie thing to remember. Re-watching news reports from that day make me cry now. They did then too. But for different reasons now. I was scared then. Now I'm just sad. But remember how "together" we felt? The whole country was united. Patriotic. Joined together. One nation. Under God. I would never, ever wish for September 11th to happen again, but to go back to that feeling again... I remember it still. As an 11 year old I knew those days were special. Scary, sad, upsetting, but also full of hope and a feeling of "we're all in this together." I would love to get back to that. I am so thankful for this country. So thankful.

So that's that for my double dipping post. Sorry it's lengthy. Thanks for hanging in there.
Happy Tuesday!

Friday, September 9, 2011

STC!

I know some of you (Morgan Stridde) get sick of my Halls team love posting. So just skip this one.

A adore my team.
Because honestly, what other team jams to duets in the 30 minute car ride back home from their high schools?
...Or picks up sticks wands in the YL parking lot and casts spells on each other for the rest of the night?
...Or has a team thread that makes me pee my pants daily? (That might be a personal problem)
...Or sends back and forth texts of lyrics with "dance" in them all.day.long.?
...Or is just so stinkin' awesome in ways I can't even explain??

I'm positive all y'all's teams rock so much, I'm just constantly overwhelmed by how blessed I am to get to lead at Halls with the people I do. So I apologize. But at the same time, I am pumped to get to hang out with them (and all you other great leaders!) all weekend.

Three cheers for a mini vacay to hang out with YL leaders from all over the state at SharpTop Cove!

I'm excited to hang with my team and all the others who do ministry in Knoxville, and all the others from all over Tennessee (including a couple of friends from high school!!) that I'll meet so soon.
And I'm excited to just get away. Niiiiiice.

I did work crew at STC when I was a junior in high school. Don't blame me if I walk around singing "We are the work crew, we serve the Lord and you..." all weekend. Old habits die hard.
And this was the last time I was there... senior year of high school. Cute.
And these are the people I am most excited to hang with. Obsessed.
Happy freakin' weekend!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

What-what's your fan-ta-ta-sy

This maybe is a slightly inappropriate title. But I feel like it fits. Because....

I have a Fantasy Football team.

We are in a league called "Girls Rule."
We cheer passionately for our teams.
We don't really know what we are dong.
We talk trash with the best of 'em.
This is real life.

I have rolled my eyes at guys for getting SO into this every year. And yet, here I am. I'm distracted from this post because I'm trying to watch the Packers v. Saints game as I type. And trying to keep up with the changing points on NFL.com. I'm not 100% sure what is going on, but I do know that I'm cheering for Aaron Rodgers. Go, Pack, go!

So, just thought I'd let y'all know, I've officially joined the world of actually caring about NFL and rooting for my fantasy team.

And all you girls in the league reading this, you are going down. We're gonna stomp you. My team rocks. That's all the trash talk I got. Boom.

Now, it's back to doing high school cheers to the TV. "First and 10, do it again, go, gooo!"

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A little rain...

It's been so dry here. And HOT. And sunny. For so long. And now that it's the biggest weekend of the year here in Knoxville, it pours. Stupid tropical storm Lee. But we don't let a little bit of rain (or a stinkin' monsoon) get us down! We've been through worse. Remember this and this?
So, despite the rain, it was a BIG Labor Day weekend here in Knoxvegas.

First UT game of the year- there was absolutely no way to be prepared for you. I was hot, hot, hot and sweaty. Then soaking wet and freezing. But you were worth it. I think. Temporary misery for a life long memory? I hope that's how that works anyway.

The "T"- I'm talking to you, band members, not that wonderful bus that drives us lazy college students around. This was definitely towards the top of my reasons-to-be-excited-for-the-football-game list. And it you didn't happen! For the second time in 300 home games since the tradition started. Such a bummer.

UT football team- Thanks for not being superstitious and dominating even though the game didn't start too smoothly.

White dress I wore on Saturday- Thanks for nothin'!!

Waffle House- Thank you for being so close. And for always being open. And for letting us hang out after games.

Oregon- I only cheer for you because your uniforms ROCK. Just needed to get that off my chest.

Northstar- Every Sunday I am thankful that I go to church where I do. Thanks for always giving me something to think about.

Delaney- We may not be great at studying together, but we sure do rock at making dinner and inventing desserts. Forget elementary ed, wanna open a restaurant instead??

Game time decisions- Thank you for leading us to Boomsday. Glad we were so in sync on Sunday night.

Boomsday- You are my favorite night of the year. (Maybe not really very favorite, but easily top 5). You did not disappoint this year. I do believe this was the best year yet. Keep 'em coming.

Weather- thanks for proving me right when I swore it never stormed at Boomsday. We took your sprinkles in stride.

Annual Boomsday dance party- I have absolutely no words for you.

Labor day- Quite possible the dreariest Labor day to date. Literally did not get out of my jammers until 6:00. But I don't think there is anything better than watching movies, eat popcorn, and snuggling with the roomies all day long. But you know what? How rare is it that we get to take a day to just do nothing? So I think rainy Labor day, you were a blessing in disguise!!

Now, in picture form:


A little lake action to kick LBW off right. Please and thank you.

The Red Saile house (and Austin Thomas) LOVES the Vols.

BFFS GBO Need I say more?

Bulldogs turned Vols. Love.

Boomsday. What's not to love?

Gametime decision makers.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

It's football time in Tenneesseeeee

It's the first game day of the season!!!!!
We are pumped at the Red Saile house.
Lots of changing and exchanging of clothes.
And blasting Rocky Top throughout the house.
And we are ready.
More than ready.
For tailgating.
For watching the team run through the T.
For shaking shakers.
For high-fiving strangers.
For celebrating.
For touchdown scoring in that checkerboard end zone. 
For watching the fireworks go off over the river.
And for singing Rocky Top ALL.NIGHT.LONG.

GBO!

IT'S GAMEDAY!!!!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Love

Y'all.
I'm in love.
You may have noticed that a boy has not been mentioned on here before.
And I'm gonna keep it that way.
For now.
It's not that kind of love.
But almost.
The current love of my life is this little gem...








Nutella.
Be still my heart.
I literally cannot stop eating it.

I'm gonna go cram more nutella covered grahams in my mouth now.
Happy freakin' (loooong) weekend, bloggies!