My Big Brother

Today is Billy's 32nd birthday! Wow..he is getting up there! :) Even though we have our ups and downs as all siblings do, he has always been an incredible big brother! I have been truly blessed with my family. So, in honor of his birthday, I thought I would share some pictures of us from over the years. Since it is his birthday, I left out the awkward middle school pictures and only put up the cute ones! (Billy, you know the ones I am talking about!)


*Pretty sure he probably loved this outfit! I found several pictures of him in it.
*Christmas has always brought great memories for us! And apparently this year was no exception because this is the year Kid Sister and My Buddy came into our lives! Notice the 80's wood paneling!
*Ahh..Easter Sunday! This one makes me laugh so hard. I feel like even at that moment, he felt sorry for me!
*Never more in his element than when he was playing sports!
*This one is just sweet. My bright red headed big brother and big sister!

Billy, I love you and hope you have a great day!!

One Year

One year ago today I moved to Nashville. It's kind of crazy how fast time flies! It has been sort of a whirlwind. I feel like I have grown lot. There are so many experiences that I am thankful for this year. Here are some of the highlights of the past year....

*I found a church home in Cross Point. It's not just a place I attend. I began to serve and find my place there.
*My two dear best friends, Bailee and Josh, had the most incredible baby boy. Lucas James Bettencourt was born March 19th and changed their lives forever. I mean..seriously..look how cute this boy is..(even if he is wearing a Cowboys jersey!:))

*I had the priviledge of interning at Center for Student Missions. It was an incredible experience and really is a huge reason for my growth this year.
*I have met some pretty fantastic people that I now call friends and that has made the transition so much easier!
*JP got married and I had the priviledge of being a bridesmaid.
*I watched a friend's dreams come true on national television.
*Met two great girls that became my roommmates.
*Celebrated Wilbur's 100th birthday.
*Elijah was born! This has been a fun year of new babies!!
*Celebrating Christmas in Wheelwright, KY with Cross Point

All in all, I feel like it has been a pretty incredible year. Excited to see what the next year holds!

Gifts 41-50

41. Snow days
42. Remembering what its like to be a kid again
43. Birthdays
44. Starting a new small group
45. Lazy saturdays
46. Unexpected phone calls from my 3 yr old neice
47. Friends that love me despite myself
48. Weekend getaways
49. Good conversation
50. Listening to someone tell their story

One Thousand Gifts 31-40

31. Movie nights
32. Education
33. sending a gift just because
34. receiving a gift just because
35. Having a best friend like Bailee that can totally turn your day around!
36. a new puppy in the house
37. Grace
38. Watching best friends be incredible parents
39. Being daddy's little girl
40. Music

21-30

21. Sunday afternoon naps
22. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
23. Our couch with the pull-out
24. The fact that going to the park is part of my job!
25. Knowing all my neighbors
26. Realizing the small things make up the big picture
27. Office quotes
28. Coffee dates with Jes
29. 60 degree weather in January
30. How a toddler's laugh can turn your whole day around.

Gifts 11-20

11. Having a job that I love!
12. Growing up so close to my grandparents
13. Having Britney as a best friend for the past 13 years.
14. My community group
15. Weekends where I can do nothing
16. Learning I don't have to be busy all the time
17. The perspective I gained from working with CSM.
18. Music
19. Afternoons that I have to myself
20. Forgetting my cell phone at home

1000 Gifts

I saw this on my friend Emily's blog and thought this would be a great way to start off the new year. So, hopefully every Monday I can add a few more. I know I forget so many times with the craziness of life just how blessed I am so this will be a great reminder! Here are my first ten.

1. The fact that I can call my sister my best friend
2. When friends come to visit
3. I have a beautiful neice and two handsome nephews that I love dearly.
4. Being able to look at the world through the eyes of a 3 year old.
5. Going home to visit family
6. Phone calls from Bailee on her way home from work so we can catch up on each other's lives.
7.The friends I have made this past year in Nashville
8. Being able to move to a new city
9. A Godly family that instilled some pretty great values in my life.
10. Having parents that I know would do anything in this world for me and never taking that for granted.