just because

i took one of those buzz feed quizzes today so see how awkward i am. i got "super" ha. i know this. here are things that happen to me on a regular basis and/or are odd traits that make me super awkward: - i am a NERD in small talk conversations. i mean, bad. i just ask the same questions...like how are you? repeatedly.  its pitiful. - every dang time when the publix cashier tells me to come back...i say "you too." why can't i stop myself??? - at work and when i'm running around the park, after i have already said hello to someone and i pass them again...i don't know what to do. smile? wave? say something dumb like "you again!" good grief. - i'm not really good at judging if someone wants a hug. and i'm NOT touchy (except with G!) so i sometimes i just lean in and out wondering if i'm supposed to hug them. - i talk to myself out loud. all the time. - i don't like animals at all. so when i go to someones house with a

tori asked for a quick piece of advice i'd give my 16 year old self. so here goes. (PS i never think before i blog i just start typing. so this wont be brilliant!) - keep God first. amen. (i guess that could really be the end. its all we need!) it's so true. never once have i regretted following hard after the heart of God. not once. - relax. laugh. enjoy life and let God be in control of everything. - DO NOT try to be in control. the times i told God i had to be in control are the times i got myself in the biggest messes. - don't break up with someone b/c you "arent focused on God." that annoys me. you can't walk away from a marriage if you aren't keeping God first. learn to do it in a relationship. - i know that the advice "guard your heart" can sound cheesy. but no joke. God knew what He was doing when He put it in the Bible.  i didn't guard my heart with jay in the early years and OH MY did it have consequences. i'm not

growing up i had some of the best friends any girl could want. i am so thankful for the years i shared with the sweet friends i will "introduce" in this post. i know i will forget names, stories, etc. but it would take a month to write about all my memories. when i was really little my best friends were: Ashley Jones, Karen Friend, Julie Longstreet and Barkley Bear. other than julie i don't know much about these girls. julie is still in columbus and has a GORGEOUS family. i remember spending almost all of my time with these girls. the next two friends i remember being close to are Jory Kelley and Hillary Wilson. oh gosh, we spent all kinds of time together. i can remember the first time i met hillary. she came to sunday school one sunday and there was a welcome banner across our door. we were welcoming her and her super cute family to St Mark. jory and i spent so much time together my parents finally said "you cant spend more than two nights away from home.&quo

i'm going to answer some question from my cool niece (and friend!) Tori in this post :) high school memory i'll never forget... hmm, there are a lot of FUN memories. i went to CHS when you didnt have to be smart to go there. magnet was an option and of course i opted out of that mess! (no offense to all y'all that work ridiculously hard at CHS but my magnet and AP friends worked like animals in high school and i laughed/played for 4 years and we sat right next to each other in college...thats all i'm saying...) mmk. back to memories. i wasn't really "cool" or popular. i just was kinda there in high school :) i was in JSD and DSD at CHS. which totally makes me laugh. my friend megan and i thought it was ridiculous but we stayed in. i never went to parties. i went to some meetings which were completely assassin. people "voting" on who should be let in....haha you cant be serious. and ps - how did i make the cut??? i hope i'm not offe

i am enjoying this spring weather! too bad its supposed to be cold again this week. i am not complaining though. before too long i'll be wishing for cooler temps. so i cried yesterday. jay shaved Gs head. gone. short. its pitiful. i'm trying to think positive. it's just hair. he gets really hot with "longer" hair in the spring and summer. he's cute no matter what...oh but its not good. i cant even be mad at jay. he's just a sweet guy. last week was a bit of a struggle for me. i had a really hard time with thinking negatively about myself. man, i hate that fleshy struggle. sadly, it's no surprise to anyone that i have this nasty habit. i apologize for being so self-centered. sunday morning was awful. i'm not exaggerating that i tried on about 15 things and all of it was ill-fitting. so discouraging. i went to church in a uncomfortable shirt. i couldn't hardly take a deep breath b/c it was so tight. ugh. (ok wait, not like "homeg

wow. yesterday was super exciting! my brother and his wife welcomed their 5th child into the world. precious julianna asher dunlap was born a little after 2pm. she couldn't be more perfect! she was absolutely Gods idea (we all are...i love that!) but she was a joyful surprise to our family. we already know God has big plans for her. claire is like the champ of childbirth. i'm not kidding. she stays calm, she stays beautiful and she stays thoughtful! no lie, when jay walked in to meet julianna for the first time...claire said hello and then asked jay about his mission trip to bulgaria.   ...she had just given birth....  what a fabulous person. the day was exciting for us all. you would've thought it was the first baby to be born into our family. (keep in mind this is 5 for josh & claire, 2 for jill and john dale, 1 for us...so we've done this!) but still we were giddy. texts constantly flowing, family piled into the waiting room and phone by our side waiting for