"The little things you do to me are taking me over, I wanna show ya."

Hello everyone!

Here are just a few thoughts and updates.

Thanksgiving:
I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! It was wonderful seeing my dad's side of the family, but it was different not having him there. He was able to call on Thanksgiving night and it was so nice that I was able to actually TALK to him. He is doing really well, but is ready to come home; mom and I are DEFINITELY ready for him to come home too! Dad's trip to Bangladesh has definitely been an "experience" for him, but the whole family also. Being away from daddy 40 days hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be; then again, I still have 16 more days to go! He'll be home just in time for Christmas! I think about him several times during the day and pray for him every night. It's a very admirable thing he is doing over there and it appears that Bangladesh has a plethora of history behind it. The country is very poor and their government is very corrupted; their laws haven't been updated since the 70s. I don't see how they're even functioning. Although, I have very little knowledge of the country and their current situation it appears to me that if they were able to update their laws, that they would still have trouble implementing them considering their financial stability. Then again, if they were able to update and implement them, I feel as if they would be able to prosper a bit more. Who knows though, I could be completely off. Like I said, I have very little knowledge of the country and where the stand in the world. I expect that I will learn a lot more about it once daddy returns and I'm looking forward to it!

Anyway,  Thanksgiving went well. My boyfriend was able to come to my hometown Saturday. It was his first glimpse of where I grew up  and where my mom's family is from! I'm really glad he was able to see a part of it and meet my grandmother along with my church family! He seemed to enjoy himself; although he was only there for a very short time. While I was on break, I found out that my mom is going to have surgery on her foot on December 21. Please say a prayer for her. It's definitely going to be a challenge for her.



The Little Things:
Through out my journey, I've noticed that it's the "little things" that mean the most to me. It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I came to this realization.  The guy I was dating at the time is the one who pointed it out to me. His church has "youth Sunday" and he was given the opportunity to preach and it was the "little things" that his sermon was on. I don't think I'll ever forget that Sunday. After that, I started to notice the little things more and more. Eventually, I noticed that it was the smallest things such as a smile, or someone simply asking "How are you?" and knowing they were saying it with sincerity, is what meant the most to me.        

I suppose this is on my mind, because yesterday I noticed one of the "little things." My grandma is the best for contributing to the smallest aspects in my journey that make me smile. You see, she does things for me that she doesn't have to do (and she knows she doesn't have to do it, but insists on doing it anyway). She is ALWAYS trying to give me money. It's true...I'm a broke college student, but I've been blessed with more than enough. Granny could use the money more than me, but she some how manages to give me money. I really don't know how she does it. Her lately, she's been sending it in the mail, but this time she was sneaky. She left me an envelope and wrote on it that I was not supposed to open until 7:00 PM that night (she knew I would be back at school). Of course, I do what she says and there is the money and a card. Her cards and little notes are always so thoughtful. Aside from always trying to give me money, I always "hear" about how she's been bragging about me; I'm really not that special. Granny likes to go Burger King to get her dinner some nights and the staff now knows her. I've been with her a couple of times to eat when I'm home from school, so they recognize me also. They know me because I'm her grand daughter and they're also aware of my dad's political position he holds at home. Therefore, it never fails that every time I go into Burger King they always speak to me, but I swear that they know more about me than I know about myself!  It's little things like that, knowing that my granny is so proud of me and loves me so much, that mean the most to me.

This week, I ask that you pay attention to the "little things" and notice the joy that they bring you.

Below is the song "You Are My Sunshine." Granny has always told me that I will always be her sunshine, that's even what she calls me. Well, she'll always be my sunshine too!

"The colors that the rain throws, ballerina dance softly..."

So, Thanksgiving is this week. What are you thankful for? There are so many things that I could name off, but I believe the list would go on & on! God has blessed me with so much. Here are just a few: my amazing family, boyfriend, and best friends. My WONDERFUL university and education that I'm receiving, a nice place to live, and a car to drive. I'm thankful for all of my past experiences, even the one's that I'm not so proud of. I'm thankful for the beauty of music and art of dance; the magnificent colors of the world as well. Like I said, the list could go on. Every day, I find something new and try to see the beauty in it, even the most sticky situations (that one doesn't come so easily & often, I simply don't want to find the positives in it).

Currently, I'm using this blog post as a mean of procrastinating! I REALLY don't want to work on my presentation OR finish my paper up. Instead, I think I'll attempt to find the "beauty" of the two assignments...once I finish them, I'm one step closer to Thanksgiving break and completing my education (even if I have a LONG way to go- thanks grad school). Hahaha

Ok, back to a more serious matter. Is there something in your life that just sparks your emotions? A song? A book? A painting? Tonight, I've had my iTunes playing and it's always certain songs that I just connect with. I may not even be experiencing what the artist is describing, it's simply the music, the beat, the instruments. It's an amazing feeling, but it makes me miss dancing that much more. In my opinion dancing is the most beautiful form of art, it's just so passionate! I'm soooo THANKFUL for music and dance and for having the opportunity to dance competitively from age 4 to age 18.

Anyway, I suppose I will finish up with my random thoughts and get back to my paper. :(

Here is one of the songs I'm currently listening to that sparks all of those emotions I was talking about earlier. It's Jason Mraz's "A Beautiful Mess." I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



Since I'm reminiscing I've decided I would upload a video of one of my favorite dances I did in high school. The song is "Mama" from a Broadway musical & the type of dance is lyrical.

"Send them your heart, so they'll know that someone cares. So, their cries for help will not be in vain."

Hey y'all!

Ok, so it's been a few days since I've posted and I've wanted to, but I just didn't know what to write about. Then a few minutes ago it hit me. As I've mentioned in a previous post my dad has gone to Bangladesh to help train police officers and better police departments; he's doing well and seems to be enjoying his time. Thank you for your prayers.

Anyway, before class today my friend, Megan, and I were talking and she asked me how dad was and about his trip. As we started talking, I started mentioning some of the pictures he has sent me and the struggles the people of Bangladesh are facing. As the conversation progressed, I've realized how much I've been thinking about the poverty of the country and the world. Christmas is just around the corner and it's the time of the year that charities such as Operation Christmas Child are picking up. So many children and families won't have a Christmas dinner or Christmas gifts under a beautiful Christmas tree. Yet, these families face these problems year round and what's being done about it? Although it's admirable thing what the charities, missionaries, and other organizations such as ICITAP (the company my dad is working for) are doing, is it enough? One of my dad's pictures was a line of people waiting for free rice. Fortunately the government of Bangladesh was able to provide that, but is it enough? Will it feed everyone?  It's hard for me to comprehend that I have so much, that we have so much, and other people are STARVING. Then I ask, why me? Why have I been so blessed, yet others are struggling? God is good. I've lived a blessed life and God has provided my family with so much and continues to do so every day. Now, it's my turn to give back. Seeing  and becoming more aware of the suffering people go through makes me want to drop everything and just go help in anyway I can.  I've chosen to go into political science for numerous reasons, one of which is because I want to help people. I want to give back to the community. Hopefully, when I'm through with my education I can land a job with the government that allows me to give back.

In the mean time, I ask that you help by praying for the people of the world and your country. After all, we all need a little help sometimes, some just need it more than us.

Here is the picture daddy sent me of the people in line for free rice.

Here is the "We Are The World 25 for Haiti" video; I feel like it's very appropriate for this blog and it has a great message.

"Home is where the heart is."

Two thoughts: Small towns and best friends

I can't say I was a "fan" of growing up in a small town. Everyone knew everything about each other, so they thought. Rumors were started so easily, that it was ridiculous. Your friend choices were limited, the places you went to hang out were limited, the stores you had to shop at were limited, everything was limited. You see, I never had a set group of friends growing up. I never had a true "best friend." I always had "temporary" best friends. Although, most of my friends were guys; it's still that way. It wasn't until my senior year, that I started realizing that college would be the deciding factor as to who my "real friends" growing up were. Who would I stay in touch with? To no suprise, I stayed in touch with the three of the ones that ended up going to college with me. The rest, I speak to maybe once or twice a year. I hope they're all doing well, but it wasn't until college that I've learned what a best friend is and means. You see, one of those guys (Tyler) that I graduated with and still go to school with became my best friend. To me, a best friend is someone you can always lean on. I may not see Tyler for two weeks, but I know he is there 24/7 and he knows that I'm there for him too. We're both so busy and live in different places now that it's hard to see each other as much as we did last year (we lived in the same dorm). Tyler has seen every side of me. He's seen me at my happiest, saddest, maddest, and sickest. He'll send me a text every now at the most random times that just say, "Hey! Hope you have a good day!" He's someone I can pray with and ask him to pray for certain things- recently it's been for my dad. All of those things, compose a best friend. It's about time, I've found mine and I'm so fortunate to have done so.

Now, back to the small towns. As I was saying earlier, I wasn't a big fan of the growing up in a small town. Since I've been at college in a much, much, larger area, I've started to cherrish my small town. The limits of it were tough at times, but over all I do like the smallness and closeness. Here, a ten minute drive takes twenty due to traffic. In my eyes, that's just ridiculous. People who have grown up here, don't even know where everything is in their hometown! That's just crazy! I can't imagine not knowing where something is in my hometown!!! Here's something else that has just blown my mind, the high school my boyfriend graduated from is a PRIVATE school and it's BIGGER than my PUBLIC school! That's crazy!! I went home this weekend, Friday-Sunday, and realized how much I've missed that little place. I was able to see some people who have changed my life and spend time with them, and of course spend time with my momma, grandma, and great-aunt. I also realized, that if I didn't come from a small town there is the chance that I may have never walked into the connections I did. Mrs. White, one of the people I got to see, was a teacher at my high school and was the AG (academically gifted) coordinator; she's retired now. She did several of my recommendations in high school, double checked my college applications, and last year she proofed all of my English papers in college. This woman is absolutely amazing and I'm so blessed to have her in my life. Momma Kim, is another person I may have never met. Momma Kim is my hero. She's the most self-less and caring pereson I know. She always does for others before she does for herself, not to mention she's undergoing and has been through MANY health problems. If it wouldn't have been for my small town, I would have never met those too people who have played such a significant part in my life. When I look back, meeting the people I met and formed relationships with, going to the Wal-mart to hang out, and only having Belk and JC Penney to shop at really isn't so bad at all. Oh, and I wouldnt't trade growing up in the SOUTH in a small town for anything. :) After all, home is where the heart is!

So, I leave you with this. If you're from a small town, think about how much it provides you even when it may seem it limits you. Also, cherrish your best friends and thank God that you have them in your life. :)

Hope y'all had a great weekend and have a great week!

This video describes my life growing up PERFECTLY. Wouldn't trade it for the world.
Kellie Pickler: Small Town Girl

"My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words, but I always remember the tune." Graycie Harmon

BLEH! That's how I feel right now!

Today was the day I was absolutely dreading; we took daddy to the airport. As I've mentioned before, a month in Bangladesh is a blessing in itself because it's not a year in Kosovo. Thankfully, my dad was able to fly-out from the airport that is in the area that I go to school, so I was able to be there with my parents (even if it wasn't, I would have been there). Fortunately, professors are very understanding with situations such as my current one. My parents came and picked me up and we went and grabbed an early dinner and spent some last minute family time together. It has ABSOLUTELY SUCKED not being able to spend the last few weeks with my dad. Thank you, college!  UGH! Then again, me being in college and him wanting to go overseas for a few weeks has been another blessing in itself. I'm used to be away from my parents for a few weeks at a time (not four in a row, but about two). I know if I would have been in high school, I couldn't have done it. I would have been a total wreck! Today, I told myself I wouldn't let myself cry in front of daddy, I would "suck it up" just like he tells me too! I failed, miserably. As soon as we started heading to the airport I got that huge knot in the back of my throat. I held the tears in except for one or two all the way to the airport, even up to the terminal. Travelers literally have to be dropped off at the curb because airport security is so strict. You have to say your goodbyes right there and they have to be quick. Well, once dad got out of the car I couldn't hold it in. I started crying my eyes out, I went to hug my daddy and I didn't want to let go. Mom said he teared up. That was one of the most difficult "see you laters," I've ever had to say. This 40 days needs to go bye realllllll quick like. I don't know how military families do it! Then again, my nana, daddy, and aunt did it all the time years ago. Strongest. People. Ever. I commend them and all other military families for their strength and sacrifice.

Anyway, let me get to the point of this post. I'm sure most of you are wondering "what about your mom?" I know I haven't mentioned her much because this whole dad thing has been on my mind lately, but let me just say, I have the most amazing mom! I hope and pray that I can be half the woman she is when I'm older. You see, my mom puts up with a lot! She works like crazy, she takes care of my dad, grandma, and dog, she does the house chores like cleaning and laundry, is very active in church, finds time to spend with friends, andddd puts up with me! The patience she has...I don't know how she does it. Seriously, I have no clue. She's the woman that has gone to EVERY dance recital and competition, game, Junior Miss program, scholastic award ceremony and everything else I've been involved in. She's taken me to all of my doctors appointments, dentist appointments and every "appointment" you can think of. She's my been support and still is and will always be. She's the one person, I know I can count on 24/7. She's always been there to say, "I'm proud of you!" or listen to my stupid and random stories, to give me a hug just because. She will go out of her way to do something if she knows it will make someone happy. I'm telling you, she's incredible. Oh, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, but she's ALWAYS right. It drives me nuts! Today at the airport, she was sooo strong. I'm not looking forward to being away from daddy, but that's her husband. My parents have the strongest marriage; they've been together for 30 years and haven't been apart from each other for more than two weeks. I cannot imagine what it's going to be like for her. My mom is really tender-hearted, so I'm really confused as to how she held it together. I guess, she's just THAT strong.

Anyway, I just felt you should all know a little about my mommy because she's been a HUGE and significant part of my life journey. I'm very blessed to have her in my life.

In honor of my mom (which I'm assuming she'll eventually read this) I'm posting two videos. The songs are both inside jokes.  They're "Highway to Hell" and "I Say a Little Prayer." I know, they seem really contradictory, butttt long story! Hahaha As the quote says in the title of this post, I will always remember the tune. Here they are! LOL!

"She's not afraid, she just likes to use a night light."

I'm kind of shocked that I'm doing so well keeping up with this thing! Anyway, today's post is going to be about lots of random thoughts on lots of random things!

First: Today, I had class registration for next semester, finally! The way my university works with the order everyone is allowed to register is by credit hours. Seniors, juniors, sophomore, then freshmen; then the hours each individual has in their class. It's a pain because classes are always closing and opening from where people are putting themselves in a class and then dropping it! Anyway, I was fortunate enough to get all of the classes I needed (except for self-defense) at pretty good times! Excited about that! Although, I'm really disappointed I couldn't get into my PE class! I think self-defense could be really fun. I'm on the wait list for it though! Wish me luck.

Second: How about that election? Since I'm in college, I had to do an absentee ballot. I'm registered non-affiliated, BUT I do lean to the right. Within the next few years, I predict that I'll end up switching to the Republican party! Sorry, democrats...we're just too different. It wasn't working out! Who am I kidding though? It's not about party ID, it's about each individual issue and which candidate offers the best solution and plans, in your opinion, of course. I must say, I'm a big fan of this year's results- I love Richard Burr!

Third: Facebook! I decided to delete my page after being a member of the Facebook community for around two-three years. I've become addicted! I spend too much time on it and I've realized that I don't need to know what absolutely everyone is doing every second of the day! Although technology is a great thing, I'm concerned that society is getting lazy and becoming to dependent on it! What happened to simple phone calls? When you meet someone today it's no longer the exchanging off phone numbers, it's "Hey! Look me up on Facebook!" Get real...do tell me how you're supposed to maintain a healthy friendship or relationship THROUGH Facebook? Another problem I've experienced with it: I should NOT have to find out things through FACEBOOK about some of my BEST friends. WHAT THE HECK!?! I recently read a post on someone's blog (Bookish Blonde) about Facebook! I must say, I agree 100% with her! I will admit, I'm having withdrawals from it! This is something I really want to do though! :)

Anyhow, I suppose that's it for now. I hope everyone has had a great day so far. Another quote from my "Yes You Can't" flip book, "Serenity is the calm indifference that comes from being habitually ignored."

"A dad is someone you never outgrow your need for."

      Ok, ok! I'll admit it. I'm grown and I still need my daddy!  I have to be JUST like him too. As I wrote in my first post, he is my inspiration. For as long as I can remember dad was getting me into everything he was getting into. I was going backpacking and bike riding before I could walk. He bought me my first white water kayak when I was nine years old and then drug me down a rushing river in the mountains!  This was the same year he took me on a "bungee ride" that included 4G's and a five point harness on the side of a mountain. My dad is the outdoorsy type man if you haven't noticed already and although I enjoy all of that, it wasn't necessarily "my thing." We're from a small town, so to go kayaking and backpacking you have to make a road trip across state, so it wasn't something we got to do often. Therefore, I got into competition dancing, high school cheerleading, and Junior Miss (a scholarship program that resmebles a pageant). Did he enjoy going to allllll of those dance recitals? No. Did mom have to wake him up a couple of times during them? Of course. What about alllll of the Junior Miss programs? Well, he enjoyed the money I got from it. The high school football and basketball games? We didn't have problems getting him there. He's a man after all and doesn't mind watching sports.   Even though he would complain about them, I know my daddy was at his happiest when I was at my happiest which was when I was dancing, cheering, or participating in a Junior Miss event. Even though I'm out of most those of now (with the exception of Junior Miss), I know that my daddy is still the happiest when I'm the happiest.

      You see, I'm writing this for numerous reasons. From the title of my blog, it is obvious that I want to share my journey with you. Therefore, it's only natural that I speak of the people in my life who have impacted my journey and continue to every, single day.  One of those people, my daddy.  My dad was a military brat. My papa chose to make the army his career, which moved my dad's family around a lot. After growing up in that kind of enviornment, dad realized that he needed structure in his career which is why he became a police officer and worked his way way up to the top as the Cheif of Police. I've never been more proud of someone, because we all know that police officers along with the armed forces, fire fighters, doctors, etc. are the nation's finest. Dad loves the people of town I grew up in, so after retiring and seeing the need for a change in the local government, he ran in the 2009 elections (won by a land slide) and became a city councilman. Again, I've never been more proud. Dad wasn't running just to run or to continue to be in the public eye, dad ran because he knew the town was in a desparate need for a change and wanted to help the citizens. *Notice the connection here: I'm a political science major and criminology minor. See any irony?* Wellllll....since retirement  and long before the idea of running for city council, dad's been debating the idea of going over seas to train police officers in a foreign country. I suppose you can say wanting to help people is in his blood? The man just can't stop! Haha. At first, he was thinking about going somewhere like Kosovo for a year. HA! You can only imagine the fit my mom and I threw about that one. He debated this and debated this, and finally said no. The idea never went away; it was always in the back of his mind and on his heart. Then over the summer, a buddy of his was privileged enough to become the department head of a program that does overseas training. Oh, joy. You can only imagine where this one is about to go. Dad is one of the newest members and employees of the Department of Justice and will be leaving for Bangladesh on Thursday. Thankfully, he will not be gone a year! I cry everytime I think about this, even though I know he's going to be all right. I've come to terms with it, simply because I have no other choice. My daddy's a hero and wants to help people, just like I want to. I can't be mad at him or the situation. After all, I knew this was going to happen regardless. God has clearly planted this in my dad's heart for a reason. Him not having to go for a year is a blessing in itself! I know if going for a year in a high-risk country was his only option, he would have gone. My dad's that kind of man. He would have never been satisified if he didn't embark on this journey in his life and follow God's will.

      I'm going to leave you with this and ask a favor of you. As my dad, my inspiration, my hero embarkes on this journey please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. No matter, what religion you are, I ask that you please do this. I also ask, that you treasure every moment you have with your dad and everyone else who impacts your life daily.  Whether we realize it or not, they're the ones that keep us going and have helped shape the people we are.

      This song is by Steven Curtis Chapman. It's called "Cinderella." I've always said I was going to dance with my dad to this song at my wedding- I still plan to.

Patience is virtue?

Hello everyone!

I hope y'all had a great and happy Halloween! This Halloween was A LOT better than last year's! I was able to enjoy it with some great friends and made some new ones! My wonderful friend, Megan, let me borrow her "boxer" (a fighter, not a dog) costume from last year; it was so cute! I really enjoyed seeing everyone's costumes, some were really creative. A good friend of mine from Maine was a redneck, it was absolutely hilarious. He went a bought a mullet and camouflage hat. He also wore a flannel shirt and cut up a pair of old jeans, wore all of that including some "bubba teeth" and work boots. Like I said, it was absolutely hilarious, especially when he tried faking a southern accent. He didn't have any of us fooled, after all we do have the REAL southern accents.

Any how, I'm sure everyone is aware of the many life lessons we all face. Here lately, I feel like God has been placing several in front of me. Although, an emphasis has been placed on a particular one: patience. I understand that being patient is something I've never been good at, but I'm starting to realize it's something I definitely  need to work on. I can't always expect people to do what they say or always be on time. After all, not everyone is like me. Therefore, they don't think like I do. This past weekend, I decided to start working on my patience. Patience with absolutely everything. My parents have always stressed the importance of "killing people with kindness," which is somewhat hard to do. Although, I know that in the end it will pay off. Those who were mean or ruthless towards me, will get what they "deserve." I just have to have a little patience and continue to implement good morals and ways throughout my life. I guess...patience really does bring virtue...I just wanna know when! Hahah