A Special Surprise

It happened! Aren't they beautiful???

For those of you who don't know...for the past week I have been hinting to my Daddy, friends and just people in passing that flowers would be a great surprise on Valentine's Day (actually the day before at work so I could show them off to all my friends, ha).

Honestly I'm not that girly and flowers aren't really something I have to have on special love days but it's been a while since I've received flowers, so I thought it would be nice this year, haha.

And it was!

What an awesome surprise to receive a bouquet of gorgeous roses, lilies and geraniums plus some delicious chocolate from a sweet fellow in North Carolina. I totally showed them to everyone in my department and I displayed them on my desk :) Thanks Pookie, You made my day!

Then to make the day even better, when I got home there was an awesome package from my parents waiting for me. It had the sweetest card that made me tear up a little and a chocolate rose, which my dad said was all he could afford this year, haha. I was so excited. I am truly blessed to have the greatest family ever!!!

I want to be the exception!

I have been waiting for this movie to come out since last summer. FINALLY!!!

Saw it tonight and I can truly say that I learned a lot about what to look for when dating. Basically it's like this, simple really:
* Myspace and Facebook messages are known as booty calls.
* Guys who say 'its nice to meet you' at the end of the date aren't gonna call.
* If he's not sleeping with you, there is someone else that he is sleeping with.
* If he gets your number instead of giving you his, he's not interested.
* There are two types of women, the rule and the exception.(I'm tired of being the rule)
* Oh and this is one of the main points, never force a man to get married because the outcome could be him with a cheap tramp buying bananas at the local Handy Mart.

That last one will make you think! haha

You have to go see the movie! And guys you should go to...maybe you'll learn something!

No Hands

I love sharing these with everyone!

Today's 'Dare of the Day' was...eat your lunch using no hands. Sounds easy but it's not, especially when you have to eat your lunch in public!

Here we go:
I had Mac-N- Cheese.

Matt had some yummy fruit.

Kristi went with Lentil soup.

And Shawn went with wings...wearing a white shirt.

Results:
A few peculiar looks, lots of laughs and no stains on any clothing. My mom would be proud:)

There's a first time for EVERYTHING!

SO tonight I learned how to cut a pineapple. All these years of eating it out of a can, I decided fresh was a better way...and it totally is!

Here's the thing, I didn't even know where to start in cutting up a pineapple. I mean they look prickly and I always thought the top looked somewhat like a cactus which leads to a definite 'DO NOT TOUCH' thought! But pineapples come with instructions. Who Knew?!

So here is your step by step pineapple cutting lesson complete with pictures!

Step ONE: Twist off the crown AKA the prickly top I mentioned earlier

Step TWO: Cut in half, then into quarters

Step THREE: Trim off ends and core, remove fruit from shell



Step FOUR: Cut into bite size pieces

Step FIVE: Enjoy and indulge!

Winterjam 09

I love it when my roomies come to town!

Last night was the night that Winterjam 2009 rolled in to town and with it came my favorite Nashville roomies Stephanie, Emily and Lindsey. It was an incredible night. I got to see some old friends, meet some new friends and just take in atmosphere.

Fun moments of the night...
*Seeing Stephanie in her tu tu. She was absolutely amazing on stage! Owned it.


*Seeing a packed out Gwinett Arena all ready to worship the Lord!


*Being in the catering room when Toby found out he won a grammy. He was like a giddy little boy for the rest of the night!

*Getting to be with some of my favorite girls! I absolutely adore them.



*Hearing Brandon Heath sing! Ahh I fall in love with that voice every time!

*Talking to my new matchy matchy friend Nathan and Lindsey about dates, coffee and random moments.


*Dancing along with Pure NRG as they sang Foot Loose!

There were many more moments and many more laughs. It was such a great night and I'm sad it ended so quickly! Lucky for me there is a Nashville trip and a cruise in my future:)

I have changed!

I've been thinking a lot lately about how my life has changed so much in the past two and half years. It has definitely been an eventful ride mixed with lots of emotions, memorable trips, learning experiences and friends that have never let me down.

For those of you who don't know, in October of 2006 I took a job in Nashville, TN. It was my first 'grown up' job and it just happened to be 12 hours away from everything I loved. It was definitely a huge turning point in my life.

I remember going back to North Carolina after living in Nashville for a few months and someone said to me 'Shannon, you've changed!' I quickly defended myself by giving several reasons why I was the same Shannon that I had always been. It's funny but what I didn't know then that I do now, is I have changed. Everyday I change a little more. It's not a bad thing, it's more of a growing thing! You see, these past few years I've learned a lot about the person I want to be verses the person I don't. With becoming who you want to be, comes change.

It's a hard balance because the truth is everyone changes even if they want to believe they don't. I still love my family deeply and long to see my friends daily. I still love to rub noses with my puppy and blow bubbles in my kool-aid. I still crave Bojangles biscuits and Parker's sweet tea. The list goes on of things that haven't changed about me. The only thing is now there's a new list...a list of things that have changed!

While I could list those things for you one by one, there would be no purpose. Basically you need to know this... Through my changes I have grown closer to God, I have developed a love for new adventures and I have a hard time waiting for what may happen tomorrow:)

I see those as great changes and welcome many more!!!

Matthew 7:12

Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:
Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then
grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's
Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

Matthew 7:12 (The Message)

I will give the first person to explain this verse in detail an apple Nutrigrain bar! Don't you all comment at once...I only have one to give away:)

Reality + Bank account check

SO for the past two weeks I have been keeping track of my purchases. All because Andy Stanley made me feel so guilty about the way I use my money...and he was totally right!

Looking back at what I spend my money on has made me a little ashamed of the way I live. I'll give you a little example...

Last week I spent about 100.00 on food eating out, 75.00 on gas and 100.00 on unnecessary items like home decor and Starbucks. That's almost 300.00 that wasn't spent on anything related to the Kingdom of God!

I've been thinking about materialism a lot lately and how much I put into buying clothes, picking out new shades of eye color, trying to find the newest trendiest bag and, I hate to say it, but how much I spend on boots >gasp< and it's ridiculous. Atlanta has turned me into one of them...A shopper obsessed with labels and fashion. For once Phillip was right, I have changed.(Don't anyone tell him I said that)

Thankfully I've had a reality check and a bank account check! I have started a new system...a system to get back on track. I am beginning to save for the future, cut out the unnecessary spending and put my money where it should have been all along... in the offering plate!

Thanks Andy for the reality check! I sure needed it.

If you want to listen to Andy's messages about finances visit www.northpoint.org and click on his Balanced series. I promise it will change your view on how you spend your money, in a good way!

Stairs

3 sets of stairs...5 flights of stairs and me running up and down them 3 times! Talk about jello legs. This torture, I mean workout is a part of our daily routine for the next 14 weeks.

Yep, my lungs were burning, my legs were hurting and I was sweating quite a bit but by God I will be fit by the end of this program:)

I'm back...with moments!

OK I'm back! Did you miss me? I know you did :)

Well first order of business is to tell you that my new car hit 1000 miles yesterday! My little boy is growing up...way too fast >tear<

Alright, so besides my truck becoming a man, the past few days have been awesomely wonderful mixed with completely tiring. Like I mentioned in my last blog, I have been at the Conclave Conference since Thursday. I forgot how much work goes into being a part of a conference...not to mention the fact that there were so many people I wanted to hangout with with so little time to accomplish it.

I was very excited to see Aaron Hinton, Chris Lynch and Brian Hemphill standing in front of the Fort Caswell exhibit. It's been months since I've seen them and even longer since I've been able to sit down and have a conversation with them. I absolutely love seeing friends from home. It's such a refreshing feeling, one that I will never get tired of.

I was at the conference to help Brock and Auny with there 3 day performances. I honestly feel like I'm in my element when I am with them, working these types of events. You know, merchandise, camera cues, sound boards and mingling with hosts and state leaders. What more could you ask for? I feel like I do a pretty good job...I mean they keep me around for some reason:)

So there were moments of laughter with great friends, moments of professionalism with state leaders and moments of bright lights and Family Force 5 tracks. I'd say that's a pretty great weekend!

Oh and to top it off me and few old friends decided to send a message to someone special that we missed seeing this weekend! Downey...Todd Agnew, Cody, Brian and I miss you!!

I'll be back soon...

Sorry for the delay on my writing...I am working at the Conclave conference till Saturday so I will be back then to write :)

Thinking Cap

Well this is going to be a bit of a venting blog so read at your own disgression!

It's 12:30 AM and I, for some reason am still awake even though my day begins bright and early tomorrow at 6:30 AM!

Go to bed Shannon! I keep telling myself that.

I'm playing catch up on all the emails, trying to get it back down to a minimum and also trying to figure out which emails I have responded to and which ones I have overlooked accidentally. Lately all the email conversations are running together. Basically every conversation goes like this... We need promo materials! The video you sent me won't download! We want to have a band play before the show begins, can you approve that? I need quotes from all the past hosts and every school principle that you have ever worked with!

The answer to that last question is no! I can't!!

I mean seriously people, can you cut me just a little bit of slack and do a little bit of research yourself or at least learn how to download a video. I mean, all you do is click on it and then click download. How hard is that? Not hard at all...but no worries, I will stay up till 1 AM every night till you get all the materials you need!

"Why" you ask? Well it's quite simple...Because it's my job!

Although a little help from your thinking cap would help me to get a little more sleep at night! Could you at least try to do that for me? Please?

I would greatly appreciate it!!

OK venting session over...time to sleep(or nap since it will be so short)=(

I was on the big screen

I got to experience my first Hawk's game last night thanks to my friend Katie! She had an extra ticket and I just happen to be the lucky one to get it:)

I must say it was one of the most eventful nights I've had in a while. First thing, I ran into my friend Kyle who I haven't seen in almost a year. We just happen to pull in to a parking space right beside him. How awesome is that!

The awesomeness doesn't stop there! Here are more highlights from the evening...

*Having floor seats
*Seeing the massive SHAQ at a close distance.
*Kyle sending a text to the big screen that said 'Shannon White is a hottie' for the whole arena to see.
*Getting to be on the big screen for the first time
*Seeing Ciara at the game

It was a great night! Glad I got to spend some time with Katie and watch some great basketball!

Can't wait for night time:)

Time!

Have you ever had one of those weeks, or maybe months where you feel deep down in your soul that something is missing? You can't quite put your finger on it but it's something that in midst of laughter touches you or in the middle of tears reminds you. I've had that feeling since about November and I think it has finally revealed itself to me.

Time!

I know that's a weird answer but it's the truth. The thing that has been missing for the past three months is time. Time to rest. Time to catch up. Time to call my dear friends and hear all about their lives. Time to sleep in. Time to enjoy my surroundings. Time to be with God. Time. Time. Time.

I was talking to a co-worker the other day who told me I needed to slow down. She said that I never just had time for myself because I was dedicating it all to events, emails, gatherings and basically everything else. She's right. My response shocked her and it shocked me too, to finally hear it coming out of my mouth. My response was...

I keep myself busy so that I don't have time to think about all the things that scare me. I'm 26...single and still battling with finances. I'm scared I'll never get married. Scared that I will never be able to fully support a family. Scared that if I take myself out the circle, my friends wont even notice I'm not there. Basically I'm scared to slow down in the fear that I will realize that I'm not the social norm, haha.

It was a pretty long answer but since that day I've had to think, a lot. I've had time to rest, reflect and to be with God and the great thing is I don't think I have anything to be scared of. I have a great job with wonderful people and a salary that may not allow me a mansion, but allows me food, shelter and the freedom to do the things that I love.

I have some wonderful friends that take care of me and show me that life is about laughing and loving. They are there when I need someone to talk to. They are there when I need someone to cry to. And the best part is they're there...even the ones that live hundreds of miles away.(Thanks Kristen)

I have the greatest family who has stood beside me through all my choices, all my moves and all my struggles. They love me unconditionally no matter how much money I make, how many relationships fail and how much time goes by. My dad once told me,"I am proud of you because you are you!" My mom once said, "That's what I'm here for. To help you and to love you!" They are so great.

And the number reason I shouldn't be scared is because I have a God that is bigger than all my circumstances, all my 'so-called' failures and all my struggles. He has big plans for me and needs some time alone with me so he can reveal them!

So, I don't really do New Years resolutions and the fact that it's almost February means I would be a month late making one anyway, but here is my goal for 2009...

Spend more time in silence, listening for the whispers of God. Spend more time loving on my family, my friends and my work mates. Spend more time on me...resting, reflecting and relaxing!

I like this goal :)

The bob is back with a twist!

SO I have been growing my hair out for the past 4 and a half months. I have been super excited about having a pony tail and just having long hair that I can flip, haha. I've had a bob hair cut for a little over a year and I just thought that I should do something different, like grow it out.

Well all that changed today!

I got a hair cut and my stylist for some reason loves my hair short so all that work growing it out was a waste. But I think I like it! Ryan, my stylist says that its very rockstarish...I hope everyone else thinks the same.

Here we go...

Tell me what you think!

Headline of the Day...

Note to self never throw snow at a cop! ECU students, way to make the news :)

North Carolina Campus Police Arrest Student During Snowball Fight

Friday, January 23, 2009


GREENVILLE, N.C. — Campus police at East Carolina University said they made one arrest and used pepper spray on some students as officers tried to control a huge snowball fight on campus.

Police were called to a dormitory three times as more than 200 students pelted each other with snowballs as a rare snowstorm dropped several inches of snow in eastern North Carolina on Tuesday, The Daily Reflector of Greenville reported Thursday.

Some witnesses said they were hit hard by indiscriminately hurled snowballs.

"It all started in good nature, but then people were throwing them as hard as they could at each other. They were everywhere," said junior Brandon Davis, noting he got hit in the head.

He said a girl was knocked to the ground after being hit in the face with a snowball thrown from 10 feet away, while another student cried after getting hit in the eye.

Police said an officer used pepper spray on a group of students that rushed officers trying to make an arrest. Authorities estimate between 200 and 250 people were involved, but no serious injuries were reported.

Matt Lunchick, a junior, said he saw an officer tackle and arrest a student after the officer was hit with a snowball in the back. He also said officers told some students not to dump tubs of snow into cars.

Steven Rashad Bass, 18, was arrested and charged with assault on a government official, and resisting, delaying and obstructing a law enforcement officer. He was later released from the Pitt County Detention Center, jail officials said Thursday.

Bass was scheduled to appear in court March 3. His telephone number couldn't be found, and he didn't immediately return an e-mail Thursday.

Inspired by God

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach
us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in
our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches
us to do what is right.

2 Timothy 3:16 (New Living Translation)

Office Dare #2

I love Sara's office DARE calendar!

Not sure if you can read that so I will type it out for you!
January 21
Place sticky notes that read "left" and "right" on your shoes. Walk around all day with them.

Yep, we did it! Matt, Shawn, Sara and myself made a statement with sticky notes and markers!

Brings a smile to the face, huh?! :)

Side Effects

So I am beginning to think that this whole Accutane experience may not be worth it! For those of you who didn't know, I started taken this medicine almost two months ago to help clear up my skin...every girl's dream, right? Everyone told me that it's totally worth it because the results are amazing. What they didn't say is that the side effects are not amazing.

I woke up this morning with my nose bleeding and a wicked headache...two things that don't go together very well. This is the first time in 26 years that I have ever had a nose bleed(well that I can remember). So being the little researcher that I am, I got out the medicine box and read a few of the side effects. There's actually way more than a few. Listen to these...

blurred vision
nausea
seizures
headaches
severe chest, stomach and bowel pain
back pain
joint pain
painful swallowing
depression
psychosis

...and these aren't all of them! What the crap?

The things we do to be pretty, or try to be pretty. I would like to know if anyone else has ever taken this medicine and if so, did you ever have any of these side effects?

Catching up ain't easy

Have you ever had one of those weeks when all you can think about is getting to the weekend so you can sleep in and catch up? That was me this week. I have been going to bed super late and getting up super early and I knew that if I cold just make it to Sunday I could sleep in and wake up refreshed, ready to start my new week. Well I made it to Sunday so at least I accomplished that goal, but the refreshed part was rudely interrupted around 3:00 AM this morning.

There I was all snuggled up in my bed, probably dreaming about something awesome when this loud screeching noise began filling my apartment. At first I thought it was my cell phone alarm going off until I picked up the phone and nothing was happening. I jumped up, slightly disoriented, realizing that the noise was the fire alarm...not just my single apartment's fire alarm but the entire building's fire alarm.

Jen and I put on our hoodies and jackets(since it is a whooping 15 degrees outside) and headed to the streets. There were several people outside and most of them were not very happy about the situation. The bright red fire truck showed up a few minutes later and they searched the building for flames or smoke or anything that would have set that loud annoying noise off. But guess what...it was a false alarm! So for almost an hour and a half, we battled the cold and basically went deaf. Arghhh, felt like living in the dorms all over again.

Well I guess there's always next weekend in catch up on sleep!

Fun Moments at Work

There is never a dull day in my office! People riding scooters around! Free Krispy Kreme donuts! Oh and of course, the new awesome game 'Hide the Annie.' The days are always full of laughs...

Here are two fun moments from this week:

Yes that is a home-made toll jar.

You see, the calendar dare for Monday was to demand toll money from every person that passed your desk. Well, since my desk is grand central station, I accumulated $1.47, a Hershey kiss, a paper clip and two IOUs...one for 5 cents and the other for 52 million! You can bet I'm going to claim that one!

Now this photo...let me see, how can I describe this one? This is Josh and that large Styrofoam thing he is holding is a key chain. Apparently someone is worried about thieves in this building, haha! It was great watching him pose like a tiger for this picture.

We always find a way to make the day fun. I'll try to take more fun shots next week so stay tuned:)

Malik's story

I want to introduce you to my new friend...

...this is Malik, my new 4Runner!

OK OK calm down, I know he is beautiful but you have to hear the story.

My dad is the master at negotiation. I have never seen anyone talk down the price of a car that low...a brand new car at that! I was super impressed and a little scared of my Pops all at the same time. He totally knew just what to say and just who to talk to! I have to learn that skill one day.

Dad can we set up classes so you can teach me?

Now most of you are thinking to yourself, "Didn't she just get a new car?" The answer is yes but the sad thing is that car was indeed a lemon! NEVER buy an Equinox (that's just my opinion). It had an un-fixable problem and the mechanic wanted to spend way too much money trying fix something he couldn't guarantee would work. NOT Smart! So we decided it would be better to get a car that worked and that car just happened to be the car I have wanted since I was 16. Dreams really do come true, haha!

So there it is...Malik's story:) Thanks Daddy for being so awesome at negotiation and at being my dad! Love you.

Now who wants to take a ride in my new car?? No charge:)

All moved in...

MOVING...not my favorite thing but my apartment, I LOVE!

Jen and I moved into our new apartment last Friday night with the help of my Dad, my uncle Doug, Walker, Pitts(a beast of a man) and Chris. Thank God for strong boys because I could barely lift boxes with my clothes in it. I would hate to think what I would have looked like trying to lift a sofa or my dresser! Actually I know what I would have looked like...broken and laid in a bed for a week because of massive back pain, haha!

Anywho, the apartment is shaping up. We need to get some rugs and frames up and then I will take some photos for you all to see. You're all gonna love it which means you all have to visit soon...VERY soon!

Pictures will be up soon :)

Love this verse...

Earn a reputation for living well
in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

Proverbs 3:4 (The Message)

The World of Coke

Yep, we went!

Saturday we decided to take a little break from moving and cleaning and venture downtown. We were thirsty and what better way to quench a thirst than to get a coke! 64 for different types of coke to be exact!

Let me just give you a word of advice...the only types of Coke that taste good are from North America. The other 50 or so taste like nasty!



Here's my attempt to taste 'The Beverly' from Europe...

...and here's what I thought!

Straight garbage!

We had a great time and I hope to take many more tourist trips with Dad!!

Lacking Creativity

I apologize for my lack of creativity lately. My life has been on a whirlwind since I got back from Christmas break... but a good whirlwind!

I have so much to tell you and so many pictures to show you! Stories about moving into my new apartment, photos of my newest love(it's a car, no boy yet) and glances into what is next in the life of Shannon.

Hope you're ready:)

Three things

Three things:

I have awesome friends!
I hate painting and packing!
I need sleep!

- the end!

Fixated on the green

Painting...Painting...Painting!

For the past three days we have been painting non-stop. My eyes are totally fixated on green, blue and mocha colored paint. I am having dreams about blue painter's tape, clear drop clothes and rinsing out brushes. But I have to admit, I am not a fan of painting but since it has allowed me some time to hang out and learn more about my friends, it is well worth it (but I still dislike painting, haha).

Here are some quick shots of us painting...


Yep, that's a Piggly Wiggly shirt!

Jen is a tape master

Walker do you see that unpainted spot? haha


Walker, Katie, Shawn, Brock, Megan, & Drew, thanks for helping Jen and I make our apartment look awesome!

How could I forget?

So I realized this morning that I haven't even written about my amazing New Year's Eve extravaganza... What is wrong with me?

How could I forget the highlight of my week?

I'm slipping people...pray for me:)

Anyway, Wednesday night was a night filled with party dresses, silver and gold balloons, a toast as the ball fell at midnight and a hand full of my favorite people.

It all began at a little Thai restaurant in downtown Atlanta called Nan...I am still having day dreams about the fabulous dish I had. Yum!!! Once our bellies were full, we headed to the Ritz Carlton for a little music and dancing...Yes I said Ritz Carlton! I'm not even going to lie, I felt a little glamorous! I got to dance, see some friends rock out on stage and just enjoy ringing in the New Year Ritz style:)

Here are some snapshots from the night:

Dear 2009

Dear 2009,

Now that we have officially met and spent our first day side-by-side, there are few things we need to discuss before we further this relationship for the next 364 days. I believe a pact needs to be made on both our parts in order to make the most of our time together...

I need for you to promise me that you will be filled with new experiences, new places for me visit, new people for me to meet and a new chapter for me to write in my book of life! Create moments where I will be consumed with building solid friendships, dedicated to my ministry through my career and completely infatuated with what God has to show me.

My promise to you is that I will do everything in my power to enjoy the little things you provide, to embrace the situations that occur and to take things one day at a time. I will not rush through the laughter or scurry through the tears because I know that every moment is teaching me something...even if I have to wait till 2010 to figure it out:)

With this pact in place and both our signatures at the bottom, I believe that this could be the best year/relationship yet! See me for the paperwork:)

Sincerely devoted to you,

Shannon

P.S. I plan on turning in my red shirt this week since the season is over, so if we could add a sweet boy to the list of things you promise me, that would be awesome!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Looking back at an awesome year of transition, learning and growing and looking forward to a year full of laughter, friendship and new experiences!

2009 here I come...

What day is it?

What is today? I thought it was Saturday but I was sadly mistaken.

So I have been MIA for the past five days and there is a good reason! It's because of two very important things...Family & YEC!

I had an amazing time spending Christmas in North Carolina with my family. It was the first time I had stepped foot in my parents house since last Christmas which is ridiculous and I am determined 2009 will go differently. I got to see my 6 year old niece, Summer who is sooo tall. I swear she is going to be a model. She has super long legs and may be taller than me by the time she's 10...not really but maybe, ha!

I got to spend time with my Mom and Dad, having some home cooked meals and some awesome conversations. My brother and I got to do a little childhood cleaning on my old room.

Yes I said old.

I decided to turn my old room into my niece's new room. It makes more sense and she loves the idea. She also loves the idea of playing with all my stuff, haha. We'll work on that.

For the past three days I have been in MACON, GA with some great friends putting on a little thing called Georgia YEC- Youth Evangelism Conference. It has been three days of fun, music, the word of God, hard work, lack of sleep, laughing hysterically, magic, merch, coffee, and hundreds of people giving their lives to Christ.

We had three awesome bands...Leeland, Hawk Nelson and Fee. We had one mind boggling illusionist...Brock Gill(you are my favorite gypsy). We had some unbelievable BMX/Motorcross action...Brad Bennett & the Real Encounter team. And we had one amazing speaker...Landon Dowden.

I was the PPM this year...the Performance Personnel Manager...long title, awesome job, tired legs. My job consisted of taking care of the bands, speakers, illusionist(which is an everyday occurrence) and the athletes. I made sure they were on stage when they needed to be. Made sure they had all supplies needed to put on a great performance. Made sure they had rooms, food, transportation, and for the FEE band, I made sure they had someone to pick on >You are welcome guys<

It was a great three days and they went by way too fast. Not enough time to catch up with everyone. Not enough time to give all the hugs necessary to tide me over till Conclave. Not enough time to completely take it all in. Not enough time to annoy Aaron. Oh well, counting down days till the next event!

Oh and one more...we totally say the singer of ONE DAY NIGHT >insert loud, obnoxious, 13 year old girl scream here<

I even got a picture!

haha...nice pose Jason! You ROCK!

Lucky...Bang Bang

My niece got a fun new toy for Christmas that we seriously played with all day! His name is Lucky and he is the most well behaved puppy I've ever met:)

Check out his tricks...

Playing Santa

I am totally playing Santa Claus right now! Just placed the gifts around the tree and shared a delightful plate of cookies with my brother. Yum!

My niece is going to be so excited in the morning! Can't wait to see her face:)

I love being an adult!

Done flying!

I have decided never to fly again!

Let me explain why so you don't think I am just boycotting airlines for some dumb reason.

Last night, I had a 7:34 PM flight booked from Atlanta, GA to Newport News, VA. Everything was going great...I made it to the airport an hour and a half early without sitting in traffic for hours, got to catch up with my friend Shane and his new puppy Cooper, I had time to grab a little snack of cashews and a coke to tide me over till I landed and I even had time to jump rope a little around the terminal before grabbing my book bag to board! Sounds great huh?

Well at 7:05 PM, it all changed. The Delta lady came over the intercom and said we would begin boarding in just a minute and I was so excited that my flight was on time. Let's just say I was only excited for about a minute because the lady came back on the intercom and said "Due to maintenance issues, your flight has been canceled." No exaggeration, she said those exact words. I mean one minute we were boarding, the next minute I was seriously angry. I'm not even going to lie, there were several non-Christian words floating around in my head.

With a few tears in my eyes, I headed to the service counter in hopes of catching another flight that evening...that was a dumb thought. I arrived at Delta service counter along with about 200 other angry people who were trying to do the same things as me. This is where my long airport experience started.

Three hours and few cuss words later, I canceled my flight all together and made my way down to the baggage area to get my bag back so I could drive to NC...that was a dumb thought too. Let's just say, I am now in North Carolina(after an 8 hour drive) and my bag, well it's still missing...MIA.

Yep, I have no extra clothes, no toothbrush, no make-up and no gifts for my parents. Merry Christmas to everyone!

On the bright side, I am home! I haven't been here in a year and it feels great. The Christmas tree is lite, there is sweet tea in the fridge, fudge on the counter and my family all sitting around watching TV.

Who needs luggage when you got all that, right:) Although brushing my teeth would be awesome, haha!

I'll let you know if I ever see my luggage again! I'm praying I do and would love it if you would pary too.

Hooking in hockey

So, I went to my very first Thrashers game last night which was also my first hockey game! Two words...absolutely amazing! Why has this sport not come across my radar yet.

I loved every second of it!

* The intoxicated screaming fans.
* The delicious pecans.
* The fights that broke out among the players and the way they crushed each other up against the wall.
* The Thrasher head that hung from the ceiling and blew flames out of his mouth whenever we scored.

Everything about it was fun. I'm pretty sure I am obsessed with the sport now and you better believe I will be attending more games this season...after I brush up on my hockey knowledge.

Does anyone know what hooking means in hockey? And does that make him a hooker, haha!

I have a lot to learn:)

Afro Angel

Homemade cookie dough, homemade icing, original decorating skills and three great friends equal an awesome night!

These are the delicious cookies Allie, Katie and I made!

Notice the afro angel which was by far, my favorite:)

Buddy the Elf

Favorite Christmas movie... ELF!

I know, it's not a classic but still, it's my favorite.

I can pretty much quote the whole movie for you and because I can, I have decided to dedicate this blog to my favorite Buddy the Elf quotes:)


* First we'll make snow angels for a two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookiedough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle.

* Buddy the Elf! What's your favorite color?

* What's a Christmas Gram? I want one!

* I'm a cotton-headed ninny-muggins.

* Francisco! That's fun to say!

* Puffin: Hey Buddy wanna pick some snowberries?
Buddy: Not now Arctic Puffin!

* The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

What's your favorite Buddy the Elf quote?

My Pale List

I recently re-watched the movie "Bucket List" and it got me to thinking...What do I want to do before I die. I feel as if my list would be three miles long if I wrote out everything I wanted to do before I died so I have decided to make a 2009 list...All the things I hope to accomplish in 2009! I call it 'My Pale List.'

Twenty things to get done and only a year to make it happen! Sheesh, this is going to be fun:)

1. Take a trip to Haiti and see the adorable babies at the Hands and Feet orphanage.
2. Read the Bible cover to cover
3. Throw a "Party with a Purpose" event in Atlanta.
4. Go to the Carolina/Duke game...this one might be impossible!
5. Turn in my red shirt and find a good guy to date.
6. Lead someone to Christ, actually lead a few.
7. Get Jill, Judy and Heather to paint their nails black...this will be fun
8. Record another song
9. Run a mile without feeling like I'm going to hyperventilate.
10. Go to the gun range and shoot a gun for the first time
11. Add a blue streak in my hair just because.
12. Teach baby Aiden to say Aunt Shannon
13. Learn how to properly cook my Mom's chicken casserole.
14. Fly to New York and go to a Broadway show
15. Embrace confrontation and tell a few people exactly how I feel.
16. Get another tattoo
17. Eat at Imperial Fez
18. Learn to like coffee
19. Flip a skateboard without breaking my neck.
20. Get caught in a tornado..wait I did that in 2008, haha

What do you hope to accomplish in 2009?

Sharing isn't easy

I think I have a hard time sharing!

No really, I'm being serious!

Sharing my clothes
Sharing my projects
Sharing my friends
Sharing my chocolate
Sharing the guys I date...I definitely have a hard time with this one, but hey you're not suppose to share guys right? Well you would think so but apparently it happens...Believe me!

I have a hard time with all of those.

But the main one right now is sharing my friends! You know, the whole friend groups combining and hanging out without you. I'm not mad about it, I just get a little >insert good word for jealous here<.

Lately, I have been extremely busy(on purpose and totally my fault) and I haven't had a lot of time to just hang out with people. I feel like I'm missing out on the fun but mostly I'm missing out on building those relationships.

I wonder if I am being selfish in feeling this way or I wonder if it's normal. Surely I'm not the only one!

Does anyone else ever feel like this?

No eye

No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (New Living Translation)

Counting down

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues: 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Four Calling Birds
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Six Geese A-laying
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Seven Swans A-swimming
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eight Maids A-milking
The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Nine Ladies Dancing
The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,
6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Ten Lords A-leaping
The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eleven Pipers Piping
The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Twelve Drummers Drumming
The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.

The real 12 days of Christmas

Did you know that the 12 days of Christmas aren't the 12 days before Christmas but actually the 12 days after Christmas. I learn something new every day!

The Twelve Days of Christmas is probably the most misunderstood part of the church year among Christians who are not part of liturgical church traditions. Contrary to much popular belief, these are not the twelve days before Christmas, but in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th). In some traditions, the first day of Christmas begins on the evening of December 25th with the following day considered the Fhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifirst Day of Christmas (December 26th). In these traditions, the twelve days begin December 26 and include Epiphany on January 6.

Read it all for yourself...The 12 Days of Christmas

Question please

Here's a dumb question that I seriously don't know the answer to...

Does the 12 days of Christmas count down to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

...I really need to know!

The tree of Christmas Present

Have you ever seen a Christmas Tree made of laptops...

...NO?

Well let me fix that for you...

The Communication Department at the North American Mission Board made this creation to represent the present day way of communicating!

Pretty creative huh?

A birthday perfect for a princess!

I've been meaning to write about this for two weeks and I refuse to wait any longer!!!

November 29 was my friend Emily's birthday. We had a party with a princess theme, mixed with games, five year old style! It was like stepping back into childhood...

We played pin the tail on the donkey, stomp the balloons(I don't know how to explain this game), there was a Princess castle pinata and of course, a delicious ice cream cake!

I still have dreams about that yummy cake, haha!

Emily was so thrilled with the party and all the love that was put in to her birthday. I wish all of you could have seen the smile on her face...well actually I'll show you!


Love you Emily! You truly are a princess:)

Christmas card envy

Christmas card envy... yep I have it!

Where's my card??

So far almost everyone around me has at least gotten one...even my co-workers!

I want to open my mailbox, browse through the mail and come across a festive little envelope with my name on it. That's not too much to ask, is it? >insert cute little smile here<

So friends, loved ones, acquaintances, can you help ease my bitter soul? haha

Alarm clock malfunction

My alarm clock decided not to go off this morning which made me two hours late for work.

I HATE being late and even more, I hate being unreliable which is how I might this morning. There's just something about walking in late and feeling like you have let down your superiors even if the situation was out of your control...By out of control I mean, it would take an act of God for me to wake up without some sort of loud buzzing noise to shake me from my deep sleep!

Luckily I have two amazing bosses that give me grace for things like that...well grace and some cut downs throughout the day, haha! I deserved them I guess!

Anyway, I have set two alarms for tomorrow morning in hopes of not repeating today!

He was injured, injured bad

So my parents and brother came into town Friday afternoon, hence the reason I was MIA for the past two days...I was having some serious family bonding time. We've had a great time exploring the city, doing a little Christmas shopping, eating at some of the ATL favorites and just hanging out since we barely get to do that anymore.

Now my family is from the country of North Carolina, so the city is a little overwhelming for them, except my dad! He pretty much loves all places...But since we are talking about my Pops, let me tell you a little story about what happened to Daddy on his first day visiting his daughter in the big city.

So, Daddy loves getting up to go get breakfast, especially when we're on vacation. He always gets up super early and sneaks out of the house before my Mom, Brock or I wake up. Actually he is usually done eating and back before we get up...yes we're lazy!

Anyway, yesterday Daddy ventured out and found a Waffle House just a few miles down from our condo. He had some breakfast, enjoyed some coffee and read his paper to catch up on current events. Well, as Daddy walked outside to leave, there was a handicapped ramp painted and a step that kind of blended in to the painted area so it wasn't visible when walking to the parking lot (I am horrible at relaying this story, but I'm going to try to tell it right). As Daddy stepped off the ramp, thinking he was stepping onto flat ground, he twisted his foot off the side of the step that "disappeared" into the painted ramp area. This caused Pops to fall and hit the concrete.

When he hit the ground, he hit his head causing his glasses to cut his nose. Take a look...


The Waffle House people took him to the Emergency Care place across the street, where the doctor glued(yes, glued) the cut back together and placed disappearing strips across his skin for the healing process. He said everyone was super nice and the Waffle House people told him to come get free breakfast every morning this week! How crazy is that? And they were serious...Brock and Daddy went back this morning and they both got a free meal. The Waffle House Staff greeted my Dad by name, haha! I think they might be a little scared of a lawsuit, which Daddy would never do!

Anyway, Daddy told me that his nose doesn't hurt, just itches a little. He is such a trooper, but we're gonna shoot for not getting hurt anymore the rest of the trip, haha:)

Munchkin Obsession

So lately I've had this weird obsession with 'The Wizard of Oz' munchkins...so much that I used Cha Cha for the first time to find out how many of them were still living! I can't explain why I want to know, I just do!

I watched a documentary two weeks ago about 4 of the remaining munchkins and it was so fascinating to hear about their lives since munchkin stardom. I would catch myself singing 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' subconsciously while watching these munchkins, who are in their late 80s, dress in their old costumes and dance around.

I wonder what it would have been like to be a munchkin? To sing songs to Judy Garland and play this magical part of this amazing story that still brings joy to people today. Maybe that's why I'm so fascinated with them right now! Or maybe I just really love the term munchkin:)

What do you think? Does anyone else out there think these people are fascinating?

Welcome to Georgia

Today I did something I said I would never do...

I became a Georgian.



There it is...my new license! I will admit I am fond of the photo, ha! I did smudge the info since there are some crazy people in this world apparently.

Anyway, I know it sounds dumb to make such a big deal over it but I just never thought I would move out of North Carolina and actually stay. Getting a license to me says permanent. >insert Gasp here<

As I was leaving the DMV, the clerk said "Welcome to Georgia!" in a very excited voice. I seriously almost had a panic attack.

Now, I know what you're thinking...'Shannon, why did you do this?'and I wish I had an amazingly clever answer for you. Sadly, all I have to say for myself is 'I hope I really love this state because I just made a HUGE dedication to it!!

I need Africa! Do you?

So, if you are an avid follower of my blog...which you should be...then you probably remember the post from last week about Africa! (I'm sure the reference at the bottom of every post since then has left a photographic imprint in your mind, ha). Anyway today is the day to find out more about this awesome campaign and I'm so excited that you decided to stop back by! Once you have finished reading this blog please visit www.mochaclub.org to check out more!

Now, on to what you have been waiting for. Here is an article from Barrett who lives in Africa and is the leader of this awesome project! Read why he needs Africa...

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]



Has it captured your heart yet?

This is such an amazing and life changing project and my prayer is that you will desire to get involved, yearn to help out and crave to know as much as possible about Africa! Head over to mochaclub.org to find out more, find more blog posts and (if you love tee shirts as much as me) purchase a tee to help with spread the word!