these are a few of my favorite things...

i may be a complete idiot and/or failure, but i have decided to give up TWO things for Lent this year, to make up for the lack of discipline i have shown in the past few years for Lent. I feel like I am a much more disciplined person these days- you kind of have to be when you are a full-time student, have 2 jobs, involved in a youth ministry, try to maintain and strengthen a long distance relationship, and still try to fit some time in there to work out! So that is why I have decided to give up two of the things i love most in the world....

1.

and

2.

I have tried and miserably failed at giving up diet coke for Lent for the past two years. I used to drink 2-3 a day, so it was doomed for failure from day one. However, I have decreased my diet coke (and soft drinks in general) intake to around 3 or 4 per week, so I am pretty confident I can do this now. As for the bread, that may be a different story. I go to Panera a few times a week to study, and I get soup and salad every single time. Of course with the meal comes a nice, warm french baguette to dip into my creamy tomato soup...my stomach is growling just thinking about it. It has become without a doubt one of my favorite meals. SOOO.....this is going to be a challenge to either: find something on the menu that doesnt require bread as an option (panera is a bakery, so that should be easy...NOT), or skip out on Panera all together. Since it's freezing outside right now, and Panera not only has a fireplace in every store but also free wi-fi, it doesnt look like I will taking option #2 anytime soon. Im gonna be doing alot of praying at the cash register it looks like...I'll keep you informed on how it is going. It's only 39 more days....I can so do this. right!?

be my valentine.

well, i guess there really is a first time for everything. This year has held many 'firsts' for me, with regard to Erik....as my first "serious" relationship, he's first boy I've ever said "I love you" to (more importantly, the first boy i have ever really loved!)....and yes, my FIRST EVER Valentine! For the past 23 years (or at least since i realized what V-day was really all about), I have proudly celebrated "Singles Awareness Day"instead and secretly despised any and every couple that stood within even an arms length of each other. One year in college, me and my roommate dressed in all black the entire day to protest the stupidity of the holiday. Too dramatic? We sure didn't think so. And it's not like I never dated anyone all those years- I just somehow managed to NOT be dating anyone during the month of February I guess. I would like to say it was just coincidence that it happened that way, but the truth is, I've never been able to stand mushiness and I run as far and fast as I can at the first sight of it. Hence the reason I have probably subconsciously made sure to be mush-free on February 14th each year. Until this year. I have had to make Erik tone down his mushiness ALOT since we started dating (which most of you probably would not even consider mushy things at all, Im just SO anti-romantic), so I had no idea what I was in for this past weekend. He must have caught on fast, because our Valentine's day was PERFECT, and better than I could have ever imagined my first Valentine's day being.

We started the weekend with all of our friends at a hole-in-the-wall Kareoke bar Friday night that we had discovered our 1L year. I will shamelessly admit, me and Erik were a HUGE HIT with our many duets (mainly b/c erik was hamming it up....as usual), AND we kicked everyone's butt in pool. Overall, a very successful night.

Our official Valentine's celebration actually began on Saturday. Since the very first time Erik came to see me, we have continued a tradition of going to eat breakfast at different restaurants all over Va Beach (there are tons) each morning throughout the weekends. Knowing that one of Erik's favorite restaurants is the Cracker Barrel, I found one near Virginia Beach and took him there for a late breakfast. We had planned to drive to Norfolk and go to a movie at a little indie venue, but it started snowing during breakfast so we decided to skip the drive and watch the Olympics at home instead. We came back to the lodge, built a fort (yes, a fort. it was an awesome idea. pictures to come soon.) and watched TV all afternoon. Well, Erik watched TV- he is obsessed with the Olympics....I mostly just napped. That night, we cooked dinner together, using my mom's homemade chicken spaghetti recipe. We cooked enough to feed a small army, but it tasted AMAZING! We also exchanged presents that night because he couldnt wait any longer- he gave me a freaking michael kors watch....I have only taken it off twice (to shower) since i got it. I'm that in love with it. Mostly because it makes me think of him every time i look at it. :) 

is that thing fine or what?!

On Sunday, we went to our usual pre-church breakfast joint- best breakfast in Virginia Beach and right next to church...how convenient. We spent the afternoon watching (more) Olympics and hanging out, and then went to a special service at church that night about relationships/marriage. We both agreed that it was one of the best part of our weekend---we heard some much needed advice/wisdom from some couples in our church that have been doing life together for a REALLY long time! After church, E took me to Buffalo Wild Wings (so romantic, i know) and our friends Sarah and Gabe met up with us there and we all hung out for a long time discussing law, friendships, the future, and life in general. I love that we have such good friends-both in VA and TX- who live and love life the way we do! 

Erik got to stay one more day than he normally does, since Monday was President's Day and he was off work---we spent it doing homework together. Ah, the life of law students. I cant wait to live in Texas so that i can sit next to him everyday and do homework!! 

winter blues

so apparently Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow last week, meaning we are in for six more weeks of winter. what a lame groundhog. who appointed him the king groundhog anyway?? however, i did hear that several other groundhogs around the world did NOT see their shadow....which if they are right, means we dont have that much longer for winter after all! i am personally going with the majority vote here, and telling p.phil to stay in his little hole where he belongs.

i am bitter about winter- can you tell? it has snowed the past two weekends in virginia beach. not the blink-and-you-miss-it kind of snow either- i'm talking DEEP snow. At first I was loving it- although i was in Texas (w/ erik- who by the way is doing GREAT recovering from surgery!!) when the big snow storm hit, i got home just in time to see EVERYTHING covered in pretty white snow...and i mean everything. James and Ryan wouldn't let me drive my car on the icy roads of course, so they came to the airport that Sunday to pick me up (complete w/ cowboy hats, boots and all- since they figured i would be sad that i had to leave Texas) and I was ushered back to the Lodge to stay the night "in safety" (like there were snow monsters outside or something?!?) but I didnt complain- i was tired and COLD and in no mood to argue with them. Class got cancelled the next day and my Office shut down (Va seriously shuts down at the first sight of a snow flake- just like Mississippi, so I'm totally used to it), so I was at least able to take advantage of the snow problem that seemed to be halting life all over Virginia. However, after about a day of laying around and staring at the snow, I started going stir-crazy. I couldnt drive anywhere because of the roads, and all i wanted was to shower in my own bathroom and get some sweatpants from my house. I finally got to go home the next day when the roads were cleared a little, and from that point on, i was SO OVER the snow. However, the snow was obviously not over me yet, and paid a visit AGAIN this past weekend while me and Katie were in the middle of a drive to Newport News to look for wedding dresses (for her, not me...dont worry). I won't even admit that it was really pretty coming down, because when I think about that, I immediately remember the biting cold that the pretty snow brought with it and just want to cringe. 

some pics:

my snow-covered beach. (ok i will admit, this was pretty)

the lodge monday morning.

front yard.

large snow mound...these were ALL over the place!

my car after the 2nd snow- only a couple hours into it! yuck!

I just cant believe I live in a BEACH TOWN, yet it wont stop snowing! there is something just wrong about that, don't you think?! I am so ready for Spring. I can already imagine it---riding down the boardwalk on beach cruisers, eating on the open porch at Doc Taylor's, wearing linen and seersucker on a regular basis, making MULTIPLE trips to Mississippi....oh, how I hope you are wrong about more winter, p.phil! 

soulmates.

as i write this post, erik is going into surgery to have his appendix taken out. obviously, having an appendectomy is NEVER a good thing....i would know. I had my appendix taken out almost a year ago, and it was the worst pain i have ever experienced. So when Erik called me this morning at 4 am to tell me he was going to the hospital with a really bad pain in the lower right side of his stomach, i immediately knew what was going on. The crazy thing is, last night we were skyping, and I was complaining b/c my stomach hurt really bad...and as we were talking, he started getting a stomach ache too. When i finally said good night and went to bed, mine was starting to feel better. He never brought it up again, so I just figured he was feeling better too. Little did I know, he was getting WAY worse. I never ever hear my phone when I am sleeping (i can sleep through anything), but for some reason when he called me in the middle of the night, I jumped up and answered it without even thinking about what time it must be. As soon as he told me he was at the hospital getting it checked out, I knew what was happening. Sure enough, he called me back an hour later to confirm that he did, in fact, have appendicitis and would be having surgery first thing this morning. I got out of bed, grabbed my suitcase, and started packing. I'm flying down there in a few hours to stay with him for the weekend-I figure I would know better than anyone how to take care of him since i know EXACTLY how he feels/will feel when he gets out of surgery. I mean, what are the odds of BOTH OF US getting appendicitis within a year of each other!? There is only one explanation I can think of for my feeling the symptoms even before he did, for my waking up to his call in the middle of the night, and for knowing immediately what was wrong (since i have already been there, felt that) when he called....we're soulmates. :)

please say a prayer for him if you are reading this in the next few hours, and also that i make it on my flight- I don't have an ID (i lost mine in LA and my duplicate copy is in the mail at this very moment) but I am praying they will allow me to get on anyway. thanks!!

change of plans?

a potentially MAJOR update:

so i found out today that i am eligible to "visit" another law school next spring for my final semester of law school. As in, one in Texas. (insert a very excited shrieking noise). It just so happens that Erik goes to one of the law schools in Texas that would approve me to take my final 6 credit hours. coincidence? i think not. I need to take several classes that are heavily tested on the Texas Bar and Regent doesn't offer them, and so it is kind of perfect that I can do this. Me and Erik have spent the past few weeks in CONSTANT prayer about God's next steps for us, both as a couple and individually, and as soon as one of my law professors heard about our long-distance relationship and how serious it is getting, she suggested the possibility of either graduating early or visiting the last semester. Apparently, I have too many credits to try to cram into one final semester, and the probability that the Dean and Academic Committees (3 separate hurdles) would approve me to visit another school (without a VERY good cause...i.e. already married and have to move w/ husband) was almost an impossibility. At least, according to everyone I talked to...until today. I am the Dean of Students' Graduate Assistant, so I had a meeting with him today about something totally unrelated- but I took advantage of having some time to talk with him and just asked his advice about my "predicament." He actually met Erik during one of E's visits to Virginia, so he knows about us and how we are doing the whole long distance thing. He told me about his own engagement being long distance (disclaimer: i am NOT engaged- i am just stating what our conversation included) and how it was so hard for them, so he completely understood my situation. Long story short, he told me that he would approve anything I needed to get me to Texas for my final semester. Since he is the Dean of Students, he has the final say in all matters concerning transferring, visting, etc. at Regent. Coincidence that I already had a great relationship with him before knowing transferring would one day be an issue? Again, I think not. So anyway, it seems like doors have been just flying open all over the place the past couple of days- both me and Erik are discovering TONS of legal contacts that we have in the Austin/San Antonio areas.

I also found out today that I am eligible to get my 3rd-year practice certificate, which would allow me to try cases on my own in court before I even graduate...and it just so happens that I am allowed to take up to 2 more externship credits that would count towards the hours I need to graduate. How does this fit together? Well, there is an externship opportunity this summer at Legal Aid, a non-profit organization in Norfolk that offers pro-bono services to low-income citizens who really need legal assistance but cant afford it. (ps, WHAT A GREAT SERVICE!) The best part about this story/opportunity is that I did not know anything AT ALL  about it before this afternoon- the professor I would be working with for the externship credit hours approached ME in the hall (not knowing at all who I was or anything) and just started chatting it up with me...asking about life, interests, etc. After hearing that my interest is mainly in non-profit law, she started telling me all about the externship and how it would be a good opportunity for me to experience NPO's first hand. Oh and then the part about trying cases-on my own, as a student, came up. Um, that's all she neeeded to say- I was already sold.

All I can say, is that God is SO FREAKING cool, and awesome, and WISE, and creative in his plans for our lives. I cant stop thanking him for what he is doing in my life right now. wow.

                  if those dimples aren't a good enough reason to get to texas, the muscles should do it. :)

the life of a professional traveler.

the past month has been nothing short of CRAZY. i know, i know, i feel like every time i finally get around to blogging I end up saying that, but I promise the combined months of December/January take the cake. As if finals weren't crazy-stressful enough themselves, I spent the weekend before finals in Mississippi for Bo and Em's wedding. Taking a break was totally worth it- the weekend was SO MUCH fun and so so sweet- it was a memory I will never forget. Two weeks and 5 finals later, I hopped on a plane and flew to Texas for the weekend to see Erik and hang out with his family. had a great time and LOVED the family. Then home to Mississippi for about a week for Christmas....the best part of the break for sure! I got to see MARGARET the night I flew into MS for our once-a-year get together, and I made it back to Starkville just in time for the S'ville Christmas Party at Barrister's the next night to see all of my old friends. so fun. The weekend after Christmas, we (me mom and dad) headed BACK to Texas to visit Erik in Austin and then to Houston to help Bo and Em move into their new apartment. It was a crazy few days, but we got them all moved in (they have an awesome place in Midtown) and Erik even came and helped move one night....what a doll. The day before NYE, I flew to New Mexico to spend a few days with Sarah in AngelFire, where her family lives and has a cabin near the resort. We snowboarded for a few days (well, until my butt was literally numb from falling down so much) and spent the rest of the time sledding, hiking, eating, and sleeping. I don't know if I am necessarily sold on snowboarding after that trip, but I definitely enjoyed the challenge. I did hate the cold weather though...too much altitude for my preference....i think I will stick with the lake and wakeboarding from now on. :)

After spending TWO days back at school, I unpacked, repacked and left again for California to go to the National Championship Game in Pasedena (my Christmas present from E) and then spent the weekend in Santa Monica with Erik and his friends. It was definitely one the best trips I've ever taken....we stayed at Erik's aunt and uncle's house (in a legitimate mansion....think elevator, maids, etc.) and the view from the balcony in my room overlooked- the mountains to the right, city to the left, and ocean directly in front. not bad. We spent the weekend hanging out in LA, riding bikes from Santa Monica to Venice Beach, and eating some really good meals. The weather was perfect the whole time- needless to say, I did NOT want to come back to Virginia to the cold and tons of school work piling up really fast.

I am FINALLY home for a couple of months- I have enjoyed getting back into a routine and getting school under my belt....i have a really tough load this semester so I am trying to stay on top of things before Younglife and my internship kick back up full force. But if this month is any indication of what the rest of the year is going to be like....all i know is that it's gonna be a good one. :)

thankfulness

i stole this from LT's blog....i LOVE lists and i also have so much to be thankful for, so i knew this would be fun to do!

my ABC's of THANKSGIVING

Abraham Lincoln. he was a very good man...wish we still had a President like him.

my Beach House. coming home to the beach is consistently the best part of my day.

Christmas. both for the festivities and for the reason we celebrate it.

The Davidsons- my Virginia Beach family (and best friends)

Erik. the most amazing boyfriend in the entire world. (even though he refuses to read my blog)

Food. any and all.

God. He's so good to me.

the Hollands. I have the coolest family.

my Immune System...it fought off MONO...and won.

Juris Doctor (J.D.)---> my official title/degree in only year and a half!

Kids. i love everything about them.

Lentz Bergethon, LLP....my law firm. they make work exciting.

Music. worshiping, running, driving, sleeping, studying...it is vital for every activity in my life.

New Beginnings.

Ozark. that place changed my life.

Panera. one of the only reasons i made it through my first year of law school (free wifi, unlimited coffee, french onion soup)

Queso. (see also, F and T)

Regent Law School. good professors, beautiful campus, encouraging classmates.
Seasons. i love the way everything changes every once in a while.

TEXAS. my future domicile.

U. if you are reading this, there is a good chance we're close friends....so thank U for being in my life.

Vegas...Starkvegas, that is.

Winter Clothes. i LOVE dressing warm in cold weather- boots, coats, sweats, scarves, etc.

X-rays. It found my appendicitis last year (just in time, so that i didn't die of a ruptured appendix!) it's a stretch i know...but i'm still thankful for it!

Younglife. my girls are SO AWESOME.

Zzzzzs...although rare with my schedule, i love it when i actually get more than like 5 hours of sleep at a time.

happy thanksgiving, everyone! gobble gobble.