tattoo

i am 90.2% set on getting a tattoo. i have been thinking/praying about it so much lately.....this is what i want. on my foot (left foot- right below my last three toes) and pretty small.

X:XV

It stands for Romans 10:15. "how beautiful the feet of those who bring the good news."

I have a heart for GOING and doing God's work somewhere- and at this point, i don't even care where as long as God is in it and wants me there. I want this to remind me of why I am here...on Earth, in Virginia, at Regent Law, in this classroom.  Thoughts?

a new distraction

my attention span is officially in major trouble. from reading some friends' blogs, i have discovered a new website that is SO MUCH FUN. granted, i am not a fashionista like mk, ktac, and mo...but i do what i can with the little fashion sense that i have. this website is like paperdolls on steroids...and in virtual form of course. i've only made a few outfits so far...most of which aren't that great, but i am pretty certain the more i do, the better i will get. 

this is one that i did called the "first day of school"...i actually have this outfit (minus the shoes and handbag) and i very well may wear it one of the first days when school does start back...although i dont know that i will pull it off as well as it looks on "virtual" paper...and the second one (below it) is just a summer outfit i put together. that's what i wish i could wear to class everyday!

first day of school by annholland featuring Forever21

summer swing by annholland featuring Juicy Couture accessories

a lot in a little.

so much to update...so little time or desire to post. i blame it on the busyness that has taken my life by storm the past week or so...but in attempt to keep my promise to myself to blog more this year, here we are. 

family vacation was a BLAST. we stayed in a great condo with an oceanfront balcony/view (i put all the pictures on facebook- i don't have the energy to re-post them here at the moment, sorry) and wow, i had forgotten how beautiful Florida beaches are compared to, well, anywhere else in the States.  we rented a golf cart to get to and from Baytowne (where all the cute shops/restaurants are in Sandestin) and boy, was that an experience in itself. One night after dinner- all SIX of us piled onto the golf cart- as we were driving back to the condo, the cart began to lose "juice" since it hadnt been charged in a while. All of the boys jumped off to lighten it up- not sure if that really helped THAT much- but it definitely didnt hurt. However, that left mom, me, and emily to get it back (at that point, it was still running faster than the boys could walk to keep up with it) and our little all-girl-excursion took us through spewing fire hydrants-which completely drenched us, having to be pushed by a random guy across the street to avoid being slammed by on-coming traffic, and eventually pushing the cart the rest of the way....in heels and dresses. it was definitely one of those nights we will always remember- those are my favorite kind of nights anyway. the rest of the week was not quite so eventful....just ALOT of eating, laying out, and riding skis. 

a week later, me and mom packed up my life-again- to move me back to Virginia Beach. We spent the weekend roaming around Va Beach- mostly eating and shopping....our specialty. Although I could have done without the 16-hr car ride, I was so glad to be back! I feel more at home in Virginia Beach right now than I ever have before...it has been SO good to catch up with friends here that I haven't seen all summer, and I already feel very "settled"....which is something i have come to realize is VERY important to me. 

ASP started Monday- so far, so good! I like all the new students, and I am trying to make them feel as comfortable and encouraged as possible....I remember so well how scared I was when I first started law school last year, and I don't want anyone else to have to feel that way if I can help it! Friends, please be praying for me that I can be a good "advisor" and friend to these incoming students through this program! 

like I said, many updates....and I am officially tired of blogging for the night. I love you, friends, and I miss you..I know I have missed a lot of calls and messages lately (please forgive me) but I will call you back soon I promise! 

vacation: round two

as if my summer in austin wasn't "vacation" enough, i am leaving bright and early tomorrow morning (6 am. really Bo? is this necessary?!) for the white sandy beaches of Sandestin, Florida, for a week with the whole family. pretty excited about it, although i don't know how much time i will spend oiling up to bask in the sun- the way i have every year in the past. call me crazy, but i am starting to realize the effects too much sun can have on your skin in the long-run. that, and i LIVE on the beach (granted, it may not be as pretty as Florida...but there is still plenty of sunlight in Virginia) so i know this wont be the last chance i have to catch some cosmos this summer. i will, however, fully partake in any and all events that involve food and beverages. that's what vacation is all about, right!? 

it's a hard drive...but someone's gotta do it...

home sweet home

this is one of my favorite sights in the entire world. and after two months of seeing and experiencing nothing but Texas scenery, it was a refreshing feeling being back in the true South...to know that this is, and will always be, my HOME. 

My last weekend in Texas was eventful, to say the least. As soon as Jack flew in, we went for drinks with some friends on a rooftop bar downtown; Friday was fun-filled with a shopping "experience" at Whole Foods, all day at Barton Springs, happy hour at Hula Hut on the lake, dinner at Trudy's with the boys, and out on 6th street...whew! As if that night wasn't eventful enough, Saturday was spent floating the Komal River and finishing off the day with dinner at the Salt Lick. *Let me just interject right here--if you are ever planning on taking a trip to Austin, you MUST put the Salt Lick on your agenda. In the middle of no-where Texas, it is an outdoor restaurant with A-mazing BBQ....brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey...all cooked over a huge open fire-pit right inside. It's b.y.o.b and there is always LIVE MUSIC.* 

So today's drive home- which we did in only 10.5 hours actually- was a long one, needless to say. But to see that Starkville City Limit sign made me forget about the cramping feeling my legs were experiencing by that point, and all I could think about was pulling into my driveway, giving my mom and dad a big hug, and sitting in my kitchen...drinking multiple diet cokes and hanging out with the fam. Which is exactly what I have done. There really is no place like HOME. 

capitol city

what do you do when you can't sleep? blog of course. 

as i was laying in my bed, trying desperately to fall asleep after eating about 18 cookies and drinking mountain dew (not recommended right before bedtime), all i could think about was this summer and what a different kind of summer it has been than any i've ever had before. it's my last night to sleep in this bed in my "summer house" and maybe that is what has spurred the sudden moment of reflection; or maybe it was the constant activity of the week in trying to see as many friends as possible before i head back...whatever the case, i cant help but pause and be thankful for the amazing summer i've experienced in austin, texas, and reflect on the things i will miss most. but first, let me start with the things i will NOT miss about the ATX.

things i will NOT miss:

1. the 100+ degree temperatures EVERY SINGLE DAY this summer. try running in that...fyi: it sucks. 

2. the approximately 7 lbs. i've managed to pack on. i blame it solely on the chips and queso (or "cheese dip" as we like to refer to it in the South)...it literally comes with every meal in Texas...and it's oh so good. 

3. working 9-4. although it's not as bad as an 8-5, it's more than i care to clock-in for no pay. 

4. not being near my girl friends. i never realized how much i thrive off of girl-time until i was surrounded by almost ALL guy friends. 

and now, onto happier memories....although there are WAY too many things to list, i chose the top 10 things I will miss most about Austin. (in no certain order)

1. My summer house. I lived in Hyde Park (for all you Austin locals out there that know where this is) and it was a GREAT location...I also had an awesome roommate, the house is adorable, and my bed was super comfortable. what more could you ask for in a summer home?!

                                  my living room...sweet longhorns, huh. 

2. Mozart's. A coffee shop on Lake Austin...many nights were spent reading, emailing, and conversing with friends at that place. love it. i miss it and the hibiscus-mint tea already. 

3. THE FOOD. There are way too many amazing restaurants in Austin to even begin to describe- all of which are local places, and most have outdoor patios (which usually doesn't become enjoyable until around 9:30pm because of the heat)...but the FOOD....wow. 

4. The Austin Stone. (my church). Chris Tomlin started this church when he lived in Austin, and it is everything I have ever wanted in a church- feels like a true community and not a "corporate service" (if that makes sense), really good worship, small groups that are very easy to get involved in, and awesome teaching in the services. I left every week refreshed and wanting more. what a great thing to be able to say about church.

5. The Water. There are so many lakes, natural springs/pools, rivers, etc. in and around the city. As obsessed as I am with water and water activities...this place is like heaven for me.

            Barton Springs- a natural spring in the middle of the downtown

6. Town Lake. a great place to run- miles and miles of trails that are all right along the lake in the middle of the City. Austin is super healthy and apparently everyone in this city loves to be active- I'm just sad they all didn't rub off on me more...I guess the heat got to me first.

7. My Job. As much as I didn't like working all day everyday for free, I did love the people I worked with and the things I got to do/experience. I learned so much this summer and I couldn't imagine a nicer environment to work in than the Texas Court of Appeals. loved it. 

8. My Community Group. I got involved with a co-ed singles bible study group through The Stone early this summer (in a desperate search for girl friends!) and I made some really great friends and learned a lot through conversations and some Louie Giglio videos we all watched together throughout the summer. 

9. Free Events. Example: I went to "Blues on the Green" tonight, a free outdoor concert in one of the parks in downtown Austin. Last week I went to an outdoor symphony at another park. The week before that, I went to a restaurant for dinner two different nights and there was a live band playing at both places both nights- both bands were awesome. I mean, you can't experience this stuff just anywhere. 

10. The PEOPLE. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have made some amazing friends here, and deepened friendships with those I already knew. I am going to be the saddest to leave those friendships behind, but the good part is that I now have numerous places to stay when i come back to visit! 

When i first got to Austin for the summer, I was pursuing a friendship (for lack of a better term) with someone back home and I wasn't super-hyped on being in Austin for the entire summer...for numerous reasons. But shortly after that friendship came to an end in early June,  I heard a Matt Wertz song on my Pandora station that really hit home for me in dealing with trying to really be ALL here and not second-guessing my decision to come to Texas for the summer, etc.  I felt like God was speaking to me through this song about being in Austin. Looking back, I can see that this truly was right where I needed to be. 

I'll miss you, Austin. But don't worry....I'll be back soon.

"And as you go your own way, remember do not be afraid. 

Because you're right where you should be...in Capitol City." -MW

dreams

"Remember...God dreams bigger than you do...."

[i saw this on Margaret's twitter this morning (her awesome little sister, Grace, originally said it to her i think) and i have been thinking about it all day. so much that i thought it deserved a blog post, even though i have already blogged once today! go me.]

this quote was a HUGE revelation for me. you know, like when that you could have seen or heard something similar a million times before, but for some reason the Holy Spirit chooses to pump some meaning to it that 1,000,001 time and rock your world with relevance and clarity. that is where i have found myself today. 

To think that God could have something even greater in mind for me to do with my law degree than just practicing law?! To think that he could have someone greater than the "man of my dreams" i have envisioned in my mind, with a passion for God even greater than my own?!? To think that he could have a place for me to move after law school with even more activities and opportunities to advance His kingdom and purposes than Virginia Beach or Austin, Tx?! 

could it be true??? yes, my friends, I believe it could!

 I do know this- I was born a dreamer...from hours upon hours of playing dress-up and barbies as a little girl to daydreaming most of my college classes away, it is safe to assume I have one of the largest imaginations around. So to think that God takes my large-scale imagination and magnifies it with HIS dreams that He has just for me...well, I just can't top that. What a beautiful feeling.  Dream on, God. I'm ready for it. :)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21