I <3 Giveaways!

I've never had much luck with winning stuff....
but you better bet I'm gonna try!
There are some great giveaways this week at
LaurenNicoleGifts.blogspot.com, including these:























*Please excuse this shameless opportunity to get more entries into the giveaways* :)

Things I Love From This Week...

I thought I'd share just some of the little things that I love from this week...


PEDICURES!!! I feel that pedicures are my one guilty/ expensive pleasure in life (well, and J.Crew but that's another story!). My mom and I went and got pedicures just in case this warm weather keeps up and we'll be able to wear sandals anytime soon! (Another blessing... we got to use a 2 year expired gift certificate just because the ladies there are so nice to us!)










SPRING!! I've just about had enough of this winter. Cold, dreary weather makes me so sad, unless it's Christmas time. Last week, we got a few days of spring followed by snow. This week, I expected more winter, but we've actually gotten some spring! Still a little cool, but atleast it looks like spring with all the trees and flowers blooming. And it's still nice enough to go on walks!!




Yesterday was one of those where I knew I had alot to get done both a work and for seminary. I was really kind of dreading the day. I got home from work and tried to take quick power nap so I would be able to study the rest of the night. To my surprise, my wonderful husband walks in with a bouquet of my fav flowers! I'm a big fan of fresh flowers (gerber daisies- he finally remembered!) but our budget doesn't really allow for it, so it was such a surprise!

23

So it's January 21st, a day I'd like to call my birthday. :) I like birthdays alot... celebrating with family and friends, gifts, surprises, cake, and just the whole idea of someone's special day.

But here's my dilemma.

I have some sort of problem. You know the song "It's my party. I can cry if I want to..." That's my reality EVERY stinkin' year. I cry tears, lots of tears, every January 21st. I mean I'm talking back way back to elementary school. I remember years where I would have an all out bash and everything a girl could dream of having on a birthday and still... tears. From my 7th grade ice skating party where I hid my complex by creating mass drama among the teenage girls at my party to my sweet 16 surprise party where I busted my face in the midst of a mad game at the pinata, thus creating tears for days to come because of the massive bruise.

As I went to bed last night, I prepared myself. This is a new year. I'm supposed to be a big kid now, right? NO TEARS. I swore to myself that today would be just like any other day. Maybe if I convinced myself to forget what day it was, then I could be free of this yearly complex.

But here's my confession... I lost. I cried today. No reason. Not even sure why it happened. But the birthday bawling occurred.

I've tried to analyze why this happens. Maybe I am resisting change? Or maybe I just don't want to grow up? I still can't seem to find the real reason to this annual cryfest.

But there's hope for next year. I've always felt 24 would be my year. ;)

TAG!

So Sabrina tagged me, along with a comment about how I wouldn't do it. Thus, I have to prove her wrong!
7 Random/Weird Facts about Myself
1. So most friends have caught on to this... but my name is Natalie (Latin for "Christmas Day") and my middle name is Carol. Thus, Christmas Carol. I'm so glad this didn't get out til adulthood. :)
2. I hate replying. To phone calls, emails, Thank You's, etc. I just am so bad at it. Right now, I have a long list of people I need to reply to, yet I've found lame things to do (aka blogging) instead of replying. ahhh.
3. I love love love traveling. I've been on 4 of the 7 continents and want to go to all 7 in my lifetime. I dream about quick weekend roadtrips to fun places. BUT... I have lived in little ole Bowling Green, KY for all of my life (well i moved elsewhere in KY for a few months as an infant, but doesn't count). I find that random... such a homebody in reality but a vagabond in my dreams.
4. I worry much more than the average person. Like stupid, embarrassing things (like dropping your bra in a public place and being returned by random boy) haunt me forever. I don't know why but I just worry about the stupidest things, like I can change it.
5. As a kid (well more like highschooler), I was terrified of the school bus! Like I'm talking tears, many tears. When my parents wanted to punish me, they sent me on the bus. I still don't quite understand why I had such a fear...
6. Reality TV is my best friend. I've never been much a TV watcher, but especially this year as I married an all-out TV junkie, I am thankful for the revolution of reality TV. I couldn't stand cartoons as a kid and can't watch shows that sci-fi. Everyone loves "Lost", "24", "Harry Potter" movies... I need something real or I'm not interested at all!
7. I love reading blogs... of random people that are total strangers. Of course, I enjoy following the blogs of those I know. But I spend time reading blogs of missionaries overseas, whom I have never met, along with some hilarious women's blogs. So although I don't write on here much, I'm still very much a part of the blogging world. :)

So... here's the hard part. Tagging 7 other people. I know two people who read my blog and one of them tagged me. Alas, KRISTI- you're tagged! I expect hilarity and nothing less. :)

This is year has been the most unpredictable and changing year of my
life!! It seems like it flew by in no time! So many changes... from
changing plans as I decided to hold off on Journeyman, to soon after
being engaged, to graduation, wedding, more changes in plans as we stuck
it out in Bowling Green, and learning how to live and love life with my
new best friend/husband. Years ago, I started looking at each year and
focusing on an attribute of God. Seeing how in Scripture, that
characteristic in seen, but also seeing how He is also that today in my
life. This year has been FAITHFULNESS. In my ever changing world, He
is always the same. There were scary times in the past year and times
where I couldn't hardly believe the ways the Lord was blessing me, but
my Lord was always faithful and good.
But here's to 2008...
Starting off 2008 with some homemade doughnuts in Niger, Africa with some of my favorite ladies!

On January 26 on this year, Ross asked me to be his wife... crazy, right??


In May, I graduated from WKU! I wish I had a better picture, but this rightly describes my time at WKU with some of my lovely roomies.
Then on August 9th, I married my best friend. :)

And... we went to the Happiest Place on Earth for the very first (right after my very first cruise!).


Soon, we added a new member to the household with our cute puppy, Jasper. He didn't stay this cute for long, but I have to admit... he's growing on me. (Shh... don't tell Ross!)

I am a big fan of The Knot pages. So much so that I have made several pages for friends soon after their engagements just cause I thought it was a necessary requirement to be engaged.

Well here I am... 16 days from the big day and still I have no Knot page! I don't know why it has not been a high priority for myself. Maybe it's that I could never find a page cute enough? Whatever the case, my favorite part of Knot pages is where brides tell about their bridesmaid... who they are, why they are such a great friend, fun stories, and weird facts of their favorite lady friends!

Alas, that's what I'm going to do today... I have 4 amazing friends who will stand beside me as I say those vows and enter into a new life.

Ms. Sarah Beth Elizabeth Borders

Sarah is playing the part of Co-Maid of Honor. Sarah has been a best friend since highschool. We had known each other for years but the summer before our freshmen year began our inseparable relationship. I think it had something to do with her pool or her mother's to-die-for cooking. :) Sarah has sense of style like no other, a bubbly personality anyone could love, and spiritual discipline and insight that challenges me each time we talk. I have had to privilege to travel to 3 continents with Sarah and have shared the same heart wrestlings for the nations. I consider Sarah's family my second family and I am so blessed by all the Borders. Sarah is one great girl--resilient and beautiful!

Ms. Tara Daniel (soon to be Mrs. Toebbe!)

Tara is Co-Maid of Honor as well and will be fighting it out with Sarah to see who gets to stand by me... you don't want to miss that fight! Tara is one of those friends you just can't get rid of! She is the longest lasting of any of my friends. We first met in the preschool years, then went to elementary and middle school together, then remained close in highschool through church and being accountability partners. Tara is my honest friend... when I need the truth, she is who I'm talking to! We share a love for Gap clothing and own alot of the same clothes (good thing she is in Louisville!). Tara is a hard-working girl who just finished nursing school and aced her boards to be a RN. Tara and I also share the bond of being soon-to-be-brides... and I must admit that Tara is much better at it! :)

Ms. Kristi Darks

Kristi is my roomie... and always will be! I met Kristi first semester of college in our BCM d-group. I wouldn't say we were friends though until we somehow were stuck living together during our sophomore year. Kristi and I are so different but I think that's what makes us so close. She is the life of the party (no joke... life with Kristi is a party!), super athletic, and the queen of hospitality. Of any of my friends, Kristi has been the most a part of Ross and I's relationship. From our first awkward dates where she would entertain him when I was too nervous to now when we have to have her around to watch certain shows. She has been a major part of our relationship and will continue to be. However, I think the thing I will miss the most after August 9th is my late night talks with Kristi. We used to have standing commitment to debrief on life with each other before we hit the sack each night. That time was so precious and challenging in my walk with the Lord. Long live 3blank3! :)

Ms. Kelli K-to-the-Rae-Rae Hepner

Kelli Hepner is the friend ever girl dreams of! She is the sweetest person I have ever known and I am not exaggerating a bit. Whether its her consistent encouraging notes, birthday phone calls where she must sing the whole song, or just her heart to give, I find myself saying all too often "I want to be Kelli when I grow up!" Kelli has the biggest heart and works in Birmingham at a Pregnancy Support Center, but can also be found on any break from school across the world serving the Lord. Kelli and I first became friends during highschool at Greenwood High School through church activities at Living Hope. I think our first bonding experience was our weekend trip to Phoenix for a Beth Moore conference. We had a sweet time of spiritual growth that weekend and made commitments to the Lord that still stand today (and I cannot forget, Kelli busted out a bright-and I mean bright-pink lipstick that kept me rolling for days!).

So yet again... a new blog!

So for my 2 blogging friends ... I have changed my blog site again, in hopes of actually knowing how to do things on here! I gave up on trying to make a cute blog site on Wordpress and what's a blog with a cute background?! Anyways... here's to trying to actually post consistently!